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 222 - 9th of April

10:06pm　セミナーハウス

天気：曇り

Well, today felt like autumn, complete with leaves being blown off trees. Riding into uni this morning, I felt so sorry for the maintenance guy who was sweeping the road clear of leaves; it was a lost cause because as soon as he swept them off, the wind would pick them up again. In both my Japanese classes, we basically finished off the chapters, and started review for exams; fun! After that, I went home to have lunch and out a whole heap of rice on, which is going to last for quite a while. Getting back to uni for Gender and Sexuality, I met Peter and Rachel in the hall on the way. Rachel wanted to go to see cherry blossoms this afternoon, so Peter recommended Yasaka shrine; he even drew a map on her palm. Instead of watching sakura, I was watching a documentary. It was about married women in Japan, and was quite interesting listening to the different perspectives of women from different generations. After that I was home free, and decided to drop by Fresco to pick up some frozen vegetables for my shepherd’s pie tonight; of course, I inexplicably ended up buying more. I was happy though, because I found the okonomiyaki flour, so I’m going to try to make that now. They were also selling off cuts from cakes (packaged and everthing), so I had to get some; really cheap too.

Getting back, I talked to Mum and Ben over Skype in the lounge (since Hugo was napping), and then got stuck into a bit of Japanese revision while transferring a video to my computer; I decided I would go to Himeji castle, so I wanted it ready. Unfortunately the first time I tried it, the program decided to stop working, so I had to start over; that was very frustrating. I left it alone, and went up the kitchen to make dinner. While eating, I watched a singing game show on TV, which was quite funny because most of them couldn’t sing; it was quite painful too. Some of the challenges included, remembering the lyrics, and singing in harmony with the professional backup singers. Then I went about recruiting people to come with to the castle tomorrow. I knew Sarah and Rachael were already going, and now Sam and Alvaro have also expressed interest. Rachel said, if she gets up in time she’ll go, if not too bad. We’re leaving at 7, so it’s going to be a long day; better get some sleep now…

Day 210 - 28th of March

10:11pm　セミナーハウス
天気：晴れ
Even though I spent the entire day inside, it was far from unproductive; a fitting end to the spring break… I got up at around 10, and after getting ready for the day, I tried to get in touch with the family over skype; I had to get set up in the lounge since Hugo was still sleeping. 30 minutes later, and they still hadn’t picked up; I rung them several times throughout the day, with no luck. So I ended up not talking with them at all, which is a bit of a bummer. Anyway, getting to my room, I worked on my blog until lunchtime; still had a bit to go. I sat and ate with Rachel and Ash, and we talked for a while. When I came back downstairs, I was able to talk with Carly, and we started to plan Tokyo, so I’m going to book the hostel very soon. We talked until almost 2:30, and then it was time for me to get ready for the music party. The koto was already in the lounge, but I also had to retrieve the makura and music stand; okaasan calls it a 立 (tate) which means “to stand”. She also brought out the stand for the koto (same as the ones we used during INFES), which was great cause I meant I could sit on a chair; much better than sitting in seiza on a tiled floor.

Shortly after 5, the performances started, kicking off with Tristan on guitar, which was really amazing; he used so many difficult-looking techniques. I recognised the melody he was playing, and later when I was talking to him about it, he revealed that it was an arrangement from one of Ryuichi Sakimoto’s pieces; I have some of his music. So yeah, I really enjoyed that. Then, it was my turn, and I ended up just playing Hanagoromo, and Sakara sakura at Okaasan’s request; I think everyone enjoyed it. After that, Biancha and Yuji did there Manzai skit, which was absolutely hilarious; they had obviously put a lot of time into it. The skit actually explained what manzai was in a mock classroom setting, so it was not only very funny, but educational too. Manzai is basically stand-up comedy that involves two performers – the tsukkomi and the boke. The boke is basically the idiot, who misinterprets things, forgets, and slips up a lot, and it’s the tsukkomi’s job to correct the boke, and this usually involves physical and verbal abuse. I thought Biancha and Yuji portrayed the roles really well. Biancha was looking for volunteers from the “class”, and every time it was inevitably Yuji. He was supposed to demonstrate how a tsukkomi is supposed to act, but every single time, he ended up becoming the boke; so clever.

So I thoroughly enjoyed that. Then it was time for Otousan to sing, accompanied by Tristan on guitar. He sang sukiyaki, which many of us know, and he did a really good job of it; Otousan’s so awesome. Then it was Brett’s turn on saxophone, and he played some cool jazz. Finally, it was everyone’s turn. After a bit of stuffing around, we ended up getting everyone to sing, John Denver’s “Take me home, Country Roads”. Of course, Yuji made me take the microphone, not that I minded too much; it was kinda fun. That done we had a big group photo around the koto, and then everyone began to slowly disperse. Getting back to my room, I finally got my blog completely up-to-date, and uploaded some more photos to facebook. Soon enough it was time for dinner and I made spaghetti Bolognese, using the taco sauce; turned out tasting really good. I was joined by Ash, Sarah, Rachel, and Katie, while I enjoyed a word game show on TV; I could actually understand some of the questions. Eventually it was just Ash, Rachel, and I, watching the international figure skating competition hosted in Italy; as usual, Rachel was in her happy place. We cheered for the Japanese girls, who were doing really well.

At around 9, I decided it was time to retire for the night, but ended up bumping into Rachael. She was looking for Sarah, but couldn’t find her anyway; a lot of Firefly references ensued. I came up to her room, and she told me that she had looked in Ash and Katie’s room for her, but couldn’t find her. I was then lucky enough to get two CDs off her to burn; the Yoshida Brothers’ “Prism”, and the music from Sengoku Basara, an anime. I’m listening to it now, and it’s really epic. I then went to check in Ash and Katie’s room, and found Sarah casually sitting on Katie’s futon; she told me she had hidden out on the balcony. I had come in here to collect the purikura photos from last Saturday; I got mine, and also went back down to the kitchen to give Rachel hers. Getting back to my room, I found a note and a cookie taped to the door handle; it was a little thank you from the RAs. I had a shower and washed my hair; which still really needs to be cut. Simon got his cut today, and I must say it looks very… interesting; I don’t think I’ll be getting it cut like that. Anyway, maybe I’ll get it done this week. Hugo soon returned, finding a cookie and note on the handle for him too; for lending his cords to Yuji for the music party. He was soon out the door again, leaving me alone for the second time today; he had gone out to Kyoto to watch a movie with a friend. He had also found yatsuhashi, the wonders of which I had introduced to him last week; he’s hooked, just like Diego was. Ah, classes start again tomorrow; I guess I’m looking forward to it. My time here is rapidly expiring, but I still got a lot to do…

Day 183 - 1st of March

10:10pm　セミナーハウス

天気：雨天

I can’t believe it’s already March; I’ve just realised now that I’ve got less than three months here! Anyway, another rainy day today; I really wish the weather would make up its mind… After getting ready, I rode to uni with Simon; it wasn’t raining at the time. We were a little early, so we sat in the lounge, while I went through my vocab. It was only when I got to class that i found out that in fact the vocab test was tomorrow; oh well, nothing wrong with a bit more study. Sensei played Angela Aki’s “Tegami” in class today, a song that I love so much. We had to fill in the blanks while listening to the lyrics, than he let us sing along with a video clip; really want to go to karaoke now. After class, I had an hour to study before my lesson test, and used it to its fullest; I sat with Sarah, Katie, and Rachel. When I got to the test, I was actually really surprised at how it was. Apart from one question, I felt confident about everything else, and I got all the kanji right; I was out of there in half an hour. I guess it helps when we only go through two chapters for each lesson test, unlike in Speaking where we go through three; so crazy. Just have to wait and see the results.

I went to Kirindo to get some groceries, and then came home, having just avocado on toast since I didn’t have any rice left; I’ll have to buy some at Sanko tomorrow. Then I napped for a few hours, before trying to check out the gym with Simon. I say trying, because we couldn’t actually get in there; all the gates were locked. I’ll have to ask Yuji about whether we can actually use it, because I did actually see people in there. I got back I got my blog updated, and did some homework, before going back out again. I was going back to the uni, to see one of Professor Hester’s screenings; every Monday he shows documentaries in the classroom. I had wanted to go see some earlier on, but for some reason or another, never got there. It makes it a lot easier now that I have a bike, that’s for sure. It just started to rain when I got to uni, and after a quick chat with Jacinthe in the bike parking, I made my way over to the CIE building and up to my Gender and Sexuality classroom; Simon was already there, with Jo. I was really surprised at the number of people who had showed up, especially since it was almost 6:30 by this point, and the documentaries are usually an hour. Usually, they’re about issues in Japan, but not this week. This was a documentary about Gay and Lesbian people in developing countries, titled “Dangerous Living: Coming out in the Developing World”.

It was very interesting, and quite moving, examining the lives of gay and lesbian people in Egypt, Honduras, Kenya, Thailand, Vietnam and a few other countries that have received little mainstream media attention. After it had finished, Simon and I rode home in the pouring rain; that wasn’t much fun. It was almost 8, so we went up to make dinner. On the TV, was the closing ceremony for the winter Olympics; I can’t believe it’s over already. So I enjoyed watching the rest of that, while eating my spaghetti. A number of singers and bands performed, including Michael Buble, Avril Lavigne, Nickelback, and Simple Plan. The lighting effects were again spectacular, and there were these really cool helium balls being bounced around in the audience, that would change colour on impact. It ended a little before 9, with fireworks. While the US got the most medals over all, Canada received the most gold; Australia got two gold, YAY!!! I stayed in the kitchen for a bit longer, and then bid everyone goodnight, before going to bug Simon in the computer room. Just about time for bed now, just gotta finish off some homework…

Day 153 - 30th of January

10:14pm　セミナーハウス
天気：晴れ
I’m just watching (500) Days of Summer with Hugo. Jamie’s just got back, and he’s finishing up packing for his move into home stay tomorrow. Lol, this movie’s pretty cool; a little quirky. It’s a light little boy meets girl comedy, and it jumps from day to day (backwards and forwards) across a 500 day period; keeps it interesting. Anyway, today was good… I didn’t do much this morning, but after lunch at 2, we all got ready to go to karaoke. It ended up being Rachael, Simon, Ash, Katie, Jacinthe, Jo and I; a great group. When we got to karaoke, it was packed, so we had to wait almost an hour to get into a room. In the mean time, we got ice cream, and had a purikura session. It was a little after 4 when we finally got in, so we were only in the there for 3 hours; at 7 free time starts, which has to be paid for separately. It was still great though, and so cheap; 100 yen an hour. Everyone had a really great time, and Rachel and Simon really got into it for their first time.

When we got out at 7, we were pretty hungry, and Jo suggested we go out for dinner. Katie and Ash, decided to go to a convenience store, and Jacinthe had to go into Hirakata to teach, so it was Jo, Simon, Rachel, and I. We ended up going to an okonomiyaki place just around the corner from the seminar house. Rachel and Simon had never tried it before, and they loved it; I’m still feeling very nice and full from it. When we got back, Simon went into the computer room to ask Yuji to translate his fortune from Kiyomizu-dera. Otousan was in there, and was looking at names of people, and when he saw Rachael he chose to call her by her last name, Green. The thing is, there are two Rachel’s here; the one I’ve just met from America, and the one from my Japanese class last semester. And they even share the same middle name; Sarah. So, in order to minimise confusion, Otousan has a different name for each of us; that’s why I’m Jo, and Jo’s Joanna. I don’t think she minds though. After that we all parted ways. The movie’s finished now. It was… interesting, I’ll give it that. I won’t be doing much tomorrow except seminar house meeting at 12, and checking in; yay we get all our kitchen stuff back. Time for bed…

Day 142 - 19th of January

5:40pm　和室　－　関西外大
天気：晴れ
I’m here in the koto practice room, just sitting. Sensei is already here; she arrived just after we finished cleaning. It’s unusually early for her to show up; we always get at least an hour of practice in before she gets here. I guess she really wants to make sure we’re getting prepared for the concert. I’m pretty sure the girls are practicing with sensei first, and then Marika and I will get a go. Anyway, today was pretty uneventful, albeit one annoyance… I got up at about 11 and went upstairs to find the kitchen tables and chairs stacked up in the corridor. I had forgotten; a company was coming in today to clean the kitchen. I was told that by Yuji on Sunday that they would be finished by 12, so went back downstairs and set up computer in the lounge; Ryan was still in bed.

I chatted Diego and Carly for a while, then saw Katie come down and asked her if the kitchen was ready; it wasn’t. I was getting very hungry, and it wasn’t until after one we could finally get in. I rushed up to Ash and Katie’s room to inform them of the good news, and then we rushed back down to eat! In the end, I just had cereal; too hungry to make anything. I was impressed at how clean the floors were though; we were almost blinded by the sparkliness. Let's see how long it actually stays that way. After that, I watched some more of Hetalia; I’m almost finished the second season. At 3, I showered and then had lunch before making my way to koto. It was cool, though not unpleasantly so. When I get back, I’ll be making stew for dinner and then we’ll be going to karaoke; can’t wait!!!

10:47pm　カラオケ　－　牧野
We’re in karaoke; been here since about 9:30. I just found “Heavenly Stars” by Genki Rockets, so I’m seriously happy now; best song ever, lolz! I hope we spent all night here. It’s so cheap and I’ve been deprived for a while. It’s just Ash, Nadezhda, Katie, and I, and we’re taking turns singing; best system. Koto practice was good. We played hanagoromo with the shakuhachi sensei, and then later we played the first section of sandan. As I’d half expected, sensei wanted me to play the first koto part of sandan. This proved slightly troublesome, since I hadn’t practiced it in ages. I think she might let me play the second part, if she’s satisfied I’m good enough at the first part. Then again, maybe it’d be easier for everyone if I just stuck with the first part. Oh well, we’ll see how things go…

11:15pm　カラオケ　－　牧野
So yeah, after koto, walked home and cooked stew. Ryan was gone again, but I’m pretty sure he’ll be coming back tonight? There was a really good show on TV; an a capella singing competition. It brought back memories of choir… I had just enough time after dinner to get ready, and then we left. It’s actually really mild tonight; the walk here was actually comfortable. Now, back to singing…

Day 84 - 22nd of November

セミナーハウス

天気：雨天

Today was... tiring!!! Woke up at 8:30 and got ready to be there at 10. It was another freezing day, and on top of that it was cloudy. I dropped my kimono stuff off in the room and then went to find "Finding Jero", my singing booth; though this is the first time in this journal I've referred to them as that. Jero is the name of a popular singer in the Osaka area. He's an American who sings enka (a relatively new music style that resembles traditional music). Anyway, found the members in the CIE building. Before we started singing, we had to go out and advertise. We weren't able to pull in a crowd as large as yesterdays though; I think the weather put people off. So today, singing was just for fun, and we all sung English songs, me included. Since we had the time, they played the all of every one's songs. Of course, I hadn't learnt the all the Japanese lyrics for Kiss from a Rose, so I just sung in English. It was a bit repetitive but oh well. We had one more group sing (skater boy), and then Niky and I had to rush off to get dressed. Sempai's mum and Hashimoto sensei (I think that's her name) were so helpful and supportive throughout the day.

After I'd been dressed and payed for my zori and tabi, I asked if I could buy the obi they had lent me, and Hashimoto sensei gave it to me as a present. I was so grateful; I wish I could have conveyed my thanks better in Japanese. The performance went really really well; I was glad I got to stay and watch the whole thing this time. I recorded all of the songs bar one; both times they performed it, I was too busy serving or making tea. I was amazed at how popular we were. In the third session we had almost 40 customers! It was great. We ran out of cups and water and Mark had to duck over to the convenience store to get water while Chiharu sempai went to get more cups. Deigo, Jessica and Carly came during the third session when I was performing; I got Diego to record me. Apart from the huge crowd, a memorable moment was when Chiharu sempai accidentally whacked Midori sempai in the head with a koto; ouch!!! She was fine though. I thought the girls, and the rest of us, all did a really awesome job today.

In the last session, after a reprise of Sakura sakura, Sean persuaded me to perform Hanagoromo with him. We both made a few mistakes here and there but overall it was really good; I was proud of myself for being able to play it! We got a lot of group photos, then the girls went up to get changed, except for Chiharu sempai, who helped us international students pack up. Since Mark and I needed to go to the INFES closing ceremony, we went up a little early. Saki sempai's mum folded my kimono for me; was so awesome. Saying our final goodbyes (and see you tomorrows), Mark and I went down. Since the weather had turned nasty they had moved the event into the CIE lounge. It was about 5:30 at this point. First on the agenda was the winners of the Karaoke competition; first and second place. Before the announcements were made, they asked us if we were okay with singing our song again if we won, and all I could think was, "oh no, I'm going to have to sing that song again!!!"

True to my prediction, I won the competition; I still couldn't believe it though. I was so overwhelmed at that point, tired, and mentally unprepared to sing; but I did it. I messed up pretty bad. I was again disappointed in myself; everyone was really supportive though. I could feel my face glowing afterwards. Oh well if I didn't do that great, it's not the end of the world; I'll get over it. The prize was 6000円 worth of visa gift vouchers! I'm going to put it towards presents for people. After a slide show of photos from the day, and some final speeches, INFES was officially over; I had a great time. I never did get to try that deep-fried ice cream though...

It was a dark, cold, and rainy walk back. Luckily, Carly got some umbrellas from the CIE. When we got back, Diego and Jess were here; they shortly went out for dinner. I went up and cooked stew; didn't eat it until about 9 though. After that, Carly and I went up to keep Amber company for a while. Her Dad had visited her this weekend and we watched the video of her belly dancing, and another of the cheerleaders. The stunts they performed were absolutely incredible; they even made kanji out of thier pompoms! They were true athletes. Now feeling very tired. Tomorrow morning will be lazy, and then the afternoon will be karaoke and yakiniku with the koto club; it's going to be a lot of fun...