Day 168 - 14th of February

8:30am　特急
天気：　晴れ
We’re on the train to Kyobashi now. Well, this morning was a bit of a mess up on my part. I set the alarm on my iPod for 6:30, but forgot to turn the sound up, so I slept through it. Luckily, I was woken up by Hugo coming back from his night out in Osaka; thanks Hugo. It was already 7, so Simon, Jeremy, and Rachael were already ready; I had to quickly apologise to each of them as I saw them in that order. I ate breakfast, and then had a quick shower, and made it out to the lounge by 7:30; not so bad. After some more apologising, we set off for Makino, and made a quick stop at Mini Stop (a convenience store), so that Jeremy and Rachael could get some money out; we all bought some food too. Then we got on the local to Hirakata, switched over, and here we are now. It’s a warm, sunny day, but I think it’ll be cooler in 六甲山 (Rokkosan – Rokko Mountain); I’m so excited.

8:51am　普通
Now we’re on a local train to 尼崎 (Amagasaki) on the JR Hanshin line. This line actually goes to Takarazuka, so once we get to Amagasaki, we’re going to switch, and continue on to 六甲道 (Rokkomichi). This isn’t the way I’d intended to go, but when we got to Kyobashi, we found that we could go directly to Kobe from there, instead of taking the loop line around to Shin Osaka, and going from there as I’d originally planned; I think this way works out cheaper sine there’s less transfers. This line seems more like a subway; we’ve been underground for a while now. Simon’s taking a little nap…

9:14am　普通
We’ve just transferred at Amagasaki. We ended up on a local, because I didn’t realise the rapid express (which was bound for Himeji castle) stopped at our stop; oh well. It’s so cool that we’re in Kobe! I can already see the mountains looming on our right side, and the port on our left; there are so many bridges. We’ve got about 7 more stops until we hit Rokkomichi…

13:01pm　バス
We’re on the bus back to the cable car now. Wow, the traffic to get to the ice festival has backed up so far down the mountain; they’re going to be waiting for hours. We came at a really good time; and what a spectacular place… After getting off the train at Rokkomichi, we waited for the bus bound for 六甲ケーブル下 (Rokkosan keburu shita), where the cable line is; very convenient. We considered walking it, but I’m glad we didn’t; it was at least 20 minutes by bus, up a very steep slope. Getting the cable line, Jeremy noticed that they were doing a package that included cable car return fare, bus return, and the ice festival admission for 1,700円; that saved us at least 400円. So we went for that, and joined the very long line. We didn’t have to wait very long at all for the cable car, and the entire queue managed to fit. The car was so cool, with tiered seating and open-air; we stood up near the middle.

Once we got started, we were treated to music, and a spiel on the history of the cable car and the mountain; not that I was paying much attention. I was too exciting about riding a cable car for the first time, and taking in the awesome scenery; we even got a few peeks at Kobe through the trees. It took a little over 10 minutes to reach the top (I know because I was taping it), and after disembarking, we climbed the stairs, and quickly made our way outside to be rewarded with an awesome view of Kobe. We just missed getting on the bus (it was packed as), but I didn’t care; I wanted to take in the view. We climbed a bit higher to an observation deck, and thought about how amazing this would be to see at night; they had a panel showing what it looked like at night up there. It was a bit of a shame that it was quite hazy; we could only just make out KIX. We caught the next bus, soon noticing that there was a little bit of snow on the ground, covering the bamboo. We climbed further up the mountain, making tight turns, and coming up the town, which we’re back in now. We’re getting off at Rokkosan hotel, because we’ve decided to walk to the cheese castle, so I’ll have to continue this later…

2:45pm　バス
On the bus again, back to the cable car for sure this time; we’ve got to get back home… We’ve just been to the Rokkosan Pasture and “cheese castle”, which wasn’t a castle at all. We should have read the Japanese for this one ~ 神戸チーズ館 – Kobe cheese “building”. It was actually situated on the 1st and 2nd basement floors of a barn house in the pasture, and since we had to pay to get into the grounds, we didn’t end up seeing it. We had less than an hour so it wouldn’t have been worth it anyway. We ended up walking a little way and petting the two Shetland ponies (a male and a female), that we could just reach over the fence. An American guy’s come over and has been talking to us (well mainly Jeremy), about this and that. It’s extremely warm on these buses, and I feel like drifting off. Hopefully, we don’t have to pay to ride this bus, but I have a sneaking feeling we do, since it’s not on the route to the Ice Festival; just have to wait and see.
3:39pm　バス
Now we’re on the bus back to Rokkomichi station, making our way back down the hill into Kobe; much of the city is on the slope actually. We’re packed in here like sardines (at least we got to sit), and the poor bus driver can’t even let anyone else on; he’ll slow up at the bus stops, and then continue on. The look on one women’s face when she saw how full the bus is was priceless. But priceless was not the bus back from the pasture, unfortunately. After getting back to the cable line, we had a quick browse in the small souvenir shop (I bought some postcards), then hoped on board the car once more. I decided to stand right at the front, to film our descent through the Perspex; so cool. At this point, I think we’ll have no problem getting back home for the food party at 6. Anyway, back to earlier this morning…

After going through the town and up a winding road past lodges, pine trees, and frozen ponds we found ourselves stuck behind traffic, right before a bus stop. Since everyone was getting off, we decided to follow suit; we were in fact only about 400m from the Garden Terrace where the Ice Festival was being held. Stepping out of the bus, we had actually arrived the Rokkosan Country House and artificial ski slope. But that’s not what caught my eye. All the trees were covered with ice, and with the warmth of the sun, it was starting to melt. We had noticed it on the bus, and Simon and I especially looked on in awe. Small chunks were falling off the trees like snow, hitting the road and cars. It made the most amazingly beautiful sound as it fell and hit things, and I imagined how serene it would be to sit in a forest with this sound all around me. For me, seeing all these trees covered in this layer of delicate ice was probably the most surreal thing I’ve ever seen; almost better than snow.

Like me, Simon was over the moon, leading the way with such an enthusiasm. He found joy in breaking bits of ice of the trees, and making snowballs out of what little snow he could find on the ground. We noticed a field of snow where a heap of kids were tobogganing, and tried to find our way in. We came to realise that, to get in, we had to enter the ski slope area, and that meant paying 2500円; that wasn’t happening. Slightly disappointed, we made our way back onto the road, and continued to follow it toward the festival, past the backed up traffic. After a short while, we found a crossing, made our way up a precarious set of stairs, and then walked further up a hill to find ourselves and the venue for the festival. Passes stamped, and we were in. I’d better stop here since we’ve made it back to the station…

4:03pm　特急
Now we’re on the limited express back to Kyobashi; not that it skips many stations. Anyway, back to today… So, we got to the festival, and were immediately greeted by two proud eagles of ice. I remember ages ago, going to see ice sculptures in a place in Brisbane with Nanny and Poppy, and I do remember playing with a little bit of snow. Those faded memories were revived as we snaked our way through the display area. Among my favourites were a pair of Phoenix, a tiger, a unicorn, and a ship passing through huge waves. A lot of them were ocean themed (lots of fish and mermaids), but there were also dragons, birds, people, and even Doraemon. Past the food stalls, there was a section for kids to have fun, with slides, and pinball machines curved out of ice and a fishing game where you had to hook small blocks of ice. There was also an area where you could make your own creations from ice; most people seemed to be making pots. Hungry, we decided to eat there; I went for a nice warm bowl of ramen. As we were sitting down, Simon and I got showered in ice from, as we later found out, kids playing in a pile of it above; and once again I got ice down my back.

After eating, we left the venue, climbing some stairs, and exiting out into an area with shops and restaurants, and a viewing deck providing another amazing view of Kobe. We browsed a nearby shop for a while. There was so much great looking food (Kobe is famous for its cheese among other things), but we didn’t end up buying anything. Deciding to head back, we made our way for the bus, but not before making a side trip up a watch tower in a very European-influenced “village”. After taking in even more of the view from the height of the tower, we walked through the village, and came across a little shop called Little Horti. Just inside the entrance was something that made Simon whoop with delight; Tim Tams. It was pretty funny; he actually embarrassed himself because he was so loud. So of course, we bought a few packets (I just got the original), along with some other goodies that are a rarity in Japan. We emerged very satisfied, and just made the bus in tie too.

As I mentioned earlier, we caught the bus back into town, with the intention of seeing the cheese castle and pasture. At the ice festival, there was a stall there selling products from the pasture, and after trying the sample (a caramel), we wanted to check it out; they also had a poster of sheep which Simon in particular wanted to see. Since the bus didn’t go directly from the festival to the pasture, we decided to walk there from the town. After passing a small Inari shrine, and the YMCA, we thought we’d be clever and take a “shortcut” to cut across the curve in the road and get there faster. This turned into an hour trek through the wilderness! I hadn’t anticipated doing any hiking today, but here we were going through the forest. Admittedly, the scenery was very beautiful, and it was so quite. We found a small waterfall, with a log over it covered in ice, and inevitably come out to a place called Diamond Point, which offered us a view inland; very cool. We even found a few settlements (small and simple), which would have been private indeed, and stumbled across a small lake.

Finally, we emerged from the forest, and descended back onto the main road. By this point, I was very much in need of relief, so we followed the road for quite a way until we came across the pasture; I was practically running by the end of it. I was directed to the toilet, which was actually inside the grounds; I managed to get in without paying. Rachael followed suit, and when she came back out, we decided not to spend the money to go in; didn’t have enough time to appreciate it properly. So yeah, we petted the ponies, and then caught the bus back to the cable line. It was really funny (but really not) when we realised just how close the YMCA was to the pasture; we had turned off just after it. But anyway, it was a lot of fun, a great bit of exercise, and I got some good photos. So now here we are, back in civilisation, speeding towards home. I am quite certain that we will make it back in time for the party; almost back to Kyobashi now…

10:43pm
I’ve finally finished my speech for Japanese. I’m really happy with it, and I’ve even made a power point presentation to go with it; lots of pictures of the Sunshine Coast. Now I can have a shower, and get some sleep... After getting back to Hirakata station, we caught the bus back to the dorms, and managed to get back just after 5:30. I dropped my things in my room, and then went up to the kitchen to find the last of the preparations for the party taking place. Biancha was almost finished baking a Betty Croker cake (packet mix found at the military base), for Asami, and Victor was feverously cooking up his Spanish omelette, which I never did get to try any of; oh well. All my cooking was done, so I busied myself putting chairs out, and stealing chunks of Biancha’s corn loaf; Oh my gosh it was so yummy. She gave Yuji and I free pickings so I couldn’t complain. The mini okonomiyaki were already in the dining room, a neat little cooker set up to keep them warm; six at a time.

I got my biscuits out, along with my plate and cutlery and plonked myself down in preparation for the feast. People began to pour in just before 6, and we finally got started at about 10 past. Asami made a short announcement, and then asked us who cooked to introduce ourselves and our food, and then we got stuck into it. My biscuits went so fast, as did everything else. Unfortunately, they had gotten very hard in the fridge, so I decided to heat them up in the microwave. This meant that I was stuck in the kitchen, and missed out on trying a few things; that’s the story of the cook. After doing the rounds, it was finally my turn to eat, and wow everything was so good. I especially liked Barbara’s rice dish from Kenya; it had so much flavour. The mini okonomiyaki also tasted great, as did Biancha’s pasta salad. People also brought out chocolate and cookies, and I think the headache I have now was caused by an OD of chocolate; couldn’t help myself.

Pretty soon the cake was brought out, and we all sang happy Birthday to Asami. I was lucky enough to get two pieces, as Biancha didn’t think people would want to eat the under cooked bits; maybe that’s what gave me the headache. Anyway, I stayed up there for a while chatting with people, before sneaking away, with Asami’s permission, to get my speech done; that must have been just after 7. And here I am now, left with probably to longest blog entry to date, so I really better wrap it up. Today was absolutely amazing, and I’m really glad I made the choice to go; I was totally worth it. I know that the others really enjoyed themselves too, so other job well done on my part, since I always seem to be the organiser of these things; I don’t know why that is. Well anyway, headache is telling me that I really need to sleep so I’ll leave it at that; hopefully I can get up at a decent hour for uni tomorrow.

Day 160 - 6th of February

11:18pm　セミナーハウス
天気：雪
Today was absolutely wonderful. Not only did I get to see Beauty and the Beast, the Broadway musical, but I also got to wander around Kyoto in the snow… I got up at about 9, and readied myself for the musical; I decided to dress nice, but practical. Katie on the other hand, decided to get dressed up in her kimono, and when she came down at 10:30, she went straight to Okaasan to make sure she had everything okay. 15 minutes later, and we were ready to go. Katie told me Okaasan re-did the whole thing, every though she’d done it fine to begin with; still, a good learning experience. So yeah, I don’t know who was colder walking to Makino. Probably me, just because I’m not used to it; it was freezing. When we got to Kuzuha, it was snowing finely. Unfortunately, the ground was too warm still, so it melted as soon as it landed. We bought a snack at Tambabashi, and then continued to Kyoto station, getting there with ample time.

It was snowing heavier in Kyoto; it entered liberally into the open station. We made our way straight to the theatre, and after a few photos, and a look in the souvenir shop, from which I bought an Astro Boy pin, and Kimba the White Lion Badge, we made our way to our seats. We were a little off centre, but I couldn’t complain about the leg room; we were in the aisle. Since we had about 20 minutes before it started, we went out (separately) to have a look at the merchandise. Katie came back with a very shiny program, and I settled for another pin; so cool. And then… it started. What can I say; it was absolutely spectacular. The singing, the sets, the costumes… everything was so well done. The fact that it was all in Japanese didn’t complicate things at all. I know the story well enough, and I could understand much of what they were saying anyway. When they were singing it was a bit harder admittedly, but it did have an oddly restful effect; I didn’t have to focus on the words, just feel it I guess.

My first time seeing a professional stage show, and I was absolutely blown away. There were many new songs that didn’t feature in the movie, which made sense since it is a Broadway musical. I loved watching the set changes; they were seamless. And some of the effects; wow!!! Right at the beginning, when the old hag transforms into the beautiful witch after the Prince turns her away; that was incredible. She literally flew up into the air and this huge dress came cascading down from her as she cast the spell on the Prince; it looked like a firework was coming out of her wand. And the transformation scene at the end was perfect; just like the movie. Somehow (I’m guessin some sort of harness), he was drawn up in the air and spun around and somehow went from the Beast back to the Prince. Far out I don’t know how they made it look so good. So yeah, I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and came out feeling awestruck.

It was still snowing quite steadily, and I decided that I’d do some exploring around Kyoto. Katie opted out, which was completely understandable considering her attire. So I set off, making my way to the subway before coming to the conclusion that the bus would be better; I wanted to go to Kiyomizu. So, I went up to ground level again, and was soon on a bus. Getting off at the bus stop, I noticed there was something temple-looking nearby, called 大谷本廟 (Ootani Honbyou). Since the complex was closing shortly, I had a quick browse, and made my way out another gate, and soon found myself in a huge cemetery. It was eerily beautiful, walking among the silent gravestones with the snow falling softly and the sun setting over Kyoto tower, soon to be blocked by the impending grey clouds. Out of the cemetery, I found myself at the bottom of Kiyomizu-dera. I decided against going into the main section, since it was getting dark, and my batteries were dying; they did die while I was there.

Instead, I just walked around the skirting buildings, and then made my way back down the hill, going past all the shops. The snow was falling heavier, and I eventually took refuge in a Studio Ghibli shop I spied; didn’t buy anything though. I continued on, and found myself in familiar territory once more; I had stumbled upon Kodaiji. I willed my camera to work, and got a few more photos of the heavy snowfall. Unfortunately, the ground was still too warm; it did settle on the plants and rooves though. I continued down the hill, and bought some batteries at Lawsons, before taking a final few pictures of Yasaka shrine. I called it a day when it got too dark, and made my way back to Gion station. I caught the limited express to Makino, and after a quick stop at Life (for more groceries), I made my way home in the freezing cold; it was snowing a little. You can imagine how happy I was when I got back inside; and warm. I made dinner soon after returning (yakisoba), and caught up with Katie. We watched an interesting quiz show on tv for a while; it had us quite absorbed actually.

Finally I went back downstairs, to find Rachael and Sarah in the lounge watching Blazing Saddles. It was quite funny, and completely daft; it’s directed by Mel Brooks so what more do I need to say. That finished at around 10, by which point I was very tired. I had a shower then got settled in bed. Tomorrow’s going to be very interesting I think. We’re going to a fertility festival in Nara. And when I say we, I don’t know who exactly yet. I’ve convinced Hugo to come, and he’s asked his speaking partner to join also. I also persuaded Rachael to come. She didn’t want to at first because of the nature of the event; being British means she’s a prude, or so she tells me. But she finally came around, and supplied me with a very useful piece of paper, with all the travel information on it; her professor had supplied this to the class. So, armed with this information, we should be able to get there no problem. The festival starts at 2, so we’re going to leave at around 11. I hope it’s snowing…

Day 124 - 1st of January

12:59am　祇園
天気：雪
Happy New Year!!! We’re in the line (more like the mass), waiting to get into the Yasaka shrine; only one way to enter. Chionin was amazing. We were at the bell for New Years; we got to hear it ring about 30 times. Apart from the yelling of the security guards, beckoning us to advance, it was a truly magical event. At New Years, a lot of foreigners cheered, but I was against that; it’s not the right thing to do at a temple. We got to spend about half an hour at the bell, which was more than ample, before we were swept away by the tide of people. I gave the girls hugs and congratulations, and watched in awe as it snowed lightly; I was so happy that, although I didn’t get a white Christmas, I got a white New Years. We walked down into 円山公園 (Maruyama Koen – Maruyama Park), and the girls bought some 甘酒 (amazake – sweet sake). I got a sip from Katie’s cup; it was… interesting. Nadezhda brought mocha, and we shared that, and my coconut sable. We thought we could get into the shrine through the park, but we ended up having to walk all the way around and back onto Gion, the main street…

1:26am　祇園
Still waiting…

2:26am　祇園
Almost there… We’ve been occupying ourselves with songs, riddles, and jokes. It’s snowing pretty heavily now…

3:34am　普通
We’ve just gotten on the local train back to Makino. Yasaka shrine was really beautiful, so I guess it was worth the wait; wow, I can say I’ve done hatsumode!!! I bought a burger which looked really nice, and it was huge, but it was also stone cold. I think the girls made a better choice getting takoyaki; oh well. We gave our offerings, made our New Years wishes, and then made our way out, and back around to the station. Jo’s going to go shrine hopping until 4pm, when she can check-in to her hostel in Osaka. I was game to join her at first, but now I just want sleep…

11:41pm　
After getting back from Kyoto, I found Ryan to be awake still, but managed to get to sleep just fine. I didn’t wake up again until 2:30. I made pancakes, something I haven’t done in a while, and watched some traditional performances on TV. At one point I was watching a traditional instrument ensemble consisting of three koto players and a shamisen player. They were all elderly women, dressed in the formal 黒留袖 (kurotomesode) kimono; it was a very enchanting performance. After that I talked with Carly for a while before watching Labyrinth with Alex, India and Nadezhda; it was so funny watching that movie again. We took a break, so I could go make some dinner (shepherd’s pie), before sitting down for Watchmen; we were joined by Jeremy. I can’t say it was one of the better movies I’ve ever seen, but it was certainly different. And that was my New Years. I was really glad I got to participate in hatsumode; certainly a unique-to-Japan experience. Walking back from Makino station this morning, I realised there was a solar eclipse. I looked it up online to find that it was only a partial lunar eclipse but still very rare. That and the fact that it coincided with a blue moon last night makes 2010 seem a very auspicious year to me; I certainly welcome it…

Day 90 - 28th of November

7:12am　ホテル
天気：雪
It snowed in the night!!! This is officially the first time I’ve ever seen snow, and while it’s not much and probably going to be melted away by the end of the day, it’s something. Now, off to Jozankei…

8:21am　地下鉄
We’re on the subway now to 真駒内 (Makomanai)... After getting out of the hotel, we walked down a couple of blocks looking for “Cheese Please”. It was lightly snowing, and there was already a bit on the ground. It felt crunchy under my feet. We found an entrance to the subway; “Pole Town”. We got some breakfast from a bakery, found Cheese Please, and walked to the 薄野 (Susukino) station. Since everything was closed, we’re going to come back this way later. This train is going really fast and we’re only 2 stops away. We’ve just spotted a beautiful white mountain. I’m so excited; this area has heaps more snow!

9:08am　バス
We’re on the bus to Jozankei now, waiting for it to go. It’s snowing heavily now… Here we go…

12:20pm　湯の花
We’ve just gotten out of the onsen and wow… no words to describe it. But, I guess since I couldn’t take photos, I’ll have to... Stepping back a bit, we got to Jozankei at about 10. The ride here was wonderful; so much to see. And the snow got heavier. We’re surrounded by mountains now. Got off the bus, and walked up a hill, passing the 湯の滝 (yu no taki – hot spring waterfalls), to the information centre. The lady there recommended this onsen to us 湯の花 (Yu no hana); it was very close by. Before getting here though, we had a snow ball fight and I made a snow angel in an open field; it was so much fun.

So the onsen… There were a number of facilities inside and out. Yes, that’s right, we were sitting in the snow, in an onsen; most amazing experience ever. The onsen was partially sheltered by a gazebo-type structure. With the face of a mountain, covered in pines and gnarled trees as a backdrop, and the snow and steam spiralling in an intimate dance, sitting in the onsen was magical.

1:01pm　湯の花
Just finished lunch 豚丼 (tondon – rice covered with pork and veggies). I’m feeling so warm now… After sitting in the outside section, trying the waterfall cavern, and steam room, we went and enjoyed a massage from pounding water, and a bubble bath. We spent about an hour in there, going outside one last time to take in the view… We’re figuring out our next move now, it’s still snowing, but I’ve found that walking in the snow is quite pleasant. It makes the world look so calm. I think it’s because it falls so slowly, making time seem to slow down. So many people are just on the floor napping in this cafeteria, it’s so nice and warm and the floor is carpeted. I think I’ll lie down for a bit also…

4:33pm　バス
Finally on the bus back to Makomanai. It’s already dark and my hands are cold. After leaving the onsen, we walked around the town a bit, through the snow. The last thing we did was warm our feet up in the kappa friendship pool. It was very nice though, it smelt of rotten eggs. Then we all huddled together in a giggling pile, waiting for the bus to arrive. We’ll probably get back to Sapporo at about 6. We’re going to get to the German market again and get something to eat.

5:46pm　地下鉄
On the subway back to Susukino. The high school girls we met on the bus this morning were also on the return trip. One sat next to Katie, and they chatted. All the girls thought I was 格好いい (kakkoi – cool). One of them said イケメン (ikemen) which I later found out to mean hunk!!!

10:45pm　ホテル
Just about to go out to karaoke. We’re stocked up on heaps of munchies; cheese, crackers, biscuits. Free time karaoke is cheap here... After getting back to Susukino, we walked around Pole Town for a while, went to Cheese Please, and then went into a shopping mall. Before entering though, an unfortunate event occurred. Sonia and Katie had decided to go off separately, so we were going to meet back with them at the hotel. This reminded Eddy of the need for a key, and failing to find it immediately, he panicked a bit and rummaged through his bag, taking items out, and found it. So, we went on our merry way through the mall; everything was so expensive. We exited out onto the street, and then walked back to the hotel.

Eddy wanted to upload photos onto his laptop and asked Carly for a cord to borrow. The cord was easily found but, the camera wasn’t – we think he might have left it when he was looking through his bag. Extremely panicky now, Eddy rushed back with Carly and I in tow, to try to find it. After a number of attempts, he was unsuccessful. I feel so bummed out about it; what a way to end a great day. So, disheartened, we came back to the room once more, to find that Sonia and Katie had already left for the German market. We soon followed. Ate dinner there (I got ravioli). Unfortunately, the portions were rather small, and left us feeling unsatisfied. Did some shopping, and walked over to the TV Tower. By this time, sleet was coming down heavily. We noticed a purikura machine in the lobby, but since it was occupied, we decided to go up the tower first; Sonia and Katie opted out. It was a little pricey I guess, but it was worth it.

We were treated to an amazing view from the top; the lights were spectacular. I got some more pins from a machine – my goal to cover the front of my bag is getting there. I have 7 badges and pins so far. So yeah, got down, and had fun in the purikura machine. After that, we walked underground to Aurora Town (which connects the subways and Pole Town). Everything was shut though, except Makkas; everyone bought something. I was satisfied with a soft serve. Karaoke time…

Day 87 - 25th of November

9:31pm　セミナーハウス
天気：晴れ
I wish the weather would make up its mind; preferably stay relatively sunny like today. Uni was over fast; as it always is on Wednesdays. Talked with the Japanese students in Speaking, now I have to summarize what I learnt about one of them, and hand it in tomorrow, since I won't be going to uni on Friday; Hokkaido. I can't believe how close it is!!! After Reading and Writing, went home with a quick detour to Avail to buy some more socks, and had lunch, before spending the rest of the Afternoon figuring out what we should do when we're there. I moved into the computer room at about 5 and hung out with Amber. I printed off a whole bunch of information about places to see near Sapporo, so hopefully we're all going to meet up tomorrow and decide exactly what we're going to be doing.

I really, really hope it snows, but it doesn't look very promising. The weather forecast for the weekend is just cloudy with chance of rain. I'm going to be so disappointed if I don't see snow but... what can you do; I'm sure I'll see it elsewhere. Anyway, not much else to say. I had leftover yakisoba for dinner, finished off the rest of the cake with Carly (with Milo) and now I'm feeling a little sick; I had earlier shared a packet of chocolate chip cookies with Amber in the computer room. Diego's hanging out his laundry to dry now, so I can do mine in the morning; how considerate he is. I'm debating whether to pack now, and do my homework in the morning, or vice-versa. I guess, since I don't have all my clothes washed yet, It'd be better to pack tomorrow, so yeah, I'll do my homework now. Gosh, I'm tired...