Day 226 - 13th of April

10:57pm　セミナーハウス

天気：曇り

Today was a bit of a crazy day (just like the weather has been lately), but it produced lots of laughs and benefits… First off, I was adamant in getting my hair cut today so this morning, as soon as I got up, I rode out to find a hairdresser that was open. I rode down the main street, having a general idea of which place I wanted to go to, but not really minding; as long as the prices and facilities looked reasonable. I stopped at one place, which was just about to open for 9, but since I had a little bit of time till then, I decided to continue on. Not very much further down was “11 cut”, and I actually remember Midori Sempai mentioning the name yesterday. I decided to give this place a try, and I arrived just as it opened; I seemed to call to me. I was the second customer in there (a little boy was getting his hair cut), and after explaining what I wanted, I filled out a few things, and then was immediately sat down. I had a nice young girl as my hairdresser, and I did my best to convey what I wanted to her. The main thing was that I wanted my hair thinned out, but no length off, and I got that across fine; she was using the right kind of scissors for it, so I knew I’d got it right. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t dye my hair for me, the lady at the front saying that the product they use wouldn’t be suitable for the “Okyakusama” (The customer’s i.e. me) hair. That was okay though, because I knew if I did it myself it would work out cheaper.

After the cut was done to my satisfaction (and it really was), I was taken over to the basin; I couldn’t resist getting a wash. This turned out to be just as interesting an experience as my first at a hairdresser in Japan. After she rinsed and shampooed it once, she was like “okay, now it’s time for the shower machine”; shower machine?!! I didn’t really know what it must have looked like since my face was covered with a cloth (they like to do that here it seems), but I could feel it. Some sort of plastic hood was put over me, with towels stuffed around the sides. They were obviously to keep the water from getting everywhere during what could only be described as a spa treatment for your hair. Jets of warm water were shot at my hair from all directions, at different frequencies and sequences; it was quite bizarre. I did enjoy it though, and after it had finished the girl asked what I thought, and I just replied with “omoshiroi” (interesting or funny). After that, she had a bit of fun styling it and what not, and her product of choice was spray. It actually held my hair really well, and puffed it up a lot which looked quite cool. So, you can imagine, I walked away (well rode) very satisfied; and very hungry. I hadn’t eaten breakfast yet, because I didn’t have any milk. So I did a quick shop at Fresco and Kirindo before getting back; in Kirindo I got the dye for my hair.

I ended up having breakfast a bit after 10, and it was very satisfying (I’ve been using that word a lot tonight). After that, I quickly got ready for uni, and then made my way there. I was cool and cloudy today, but it never ended up raining which was nice. I went straight up to the 4^th floor, actually a little early for class. So a waited around and talked with Nathan, soon to find Ash emerging from her Japanese class in a lilac wig and school girl outfit; she was cosplaying for her presentation today. I must say, she looked quite good, though the hair colour and style was a bit strange; I wish I had brought my camera. Anyway, today in class, we got the opportunity to talk with some of the Japanese students here at Kansai Gaidai, asking them questions that had been compiled by Saigo Sensei; we had each submitted two questions to him last week. Well, some of the questions were actually pretty deep and philosophical (including one of mine) like – when you go to shopping, do you receive plastic bags? What do you thing about plastic bags destroying nature or; what do you think about Japan’s declining population? What should the government do about it? Some of them were funny or strange like – if you got stranded on a deserted island, what would be the one thing you’d have to have or; what do you think about Japan’s pornography problem??? And then a lot of them had to do with university, study, travel, and the like.

We got circulated around 4 times, and were in pairs or groups of three; two Japanese girls (because they were all girls), to one of us. This was great because Saigo Sensei informed us that the last class only had two Japanese students come in; we were lucky I guess. We started off playing a game, and then got into conversation mode. For the most part I enjoyed it, although I was sometimes struggling for what to say next; I didn’t ask very many of the questions. I tried to keep it as natural as possible, trying to facilitate conversation flow. After class, I spent the break in the lounge with Rachel while she was reading her novel for class, trying not to distract her too much. Distraction came from elsewhere though, as Katie brought with her two Japanese girls who would be attending her university next semester; so I got another opportunity to speak Japanese. Pretty soon though, I had to leave for Religion, which was actually pretty depressing; it was about Buddhism. And basically, Buddhism teaches that life is suffering, and happiness is an illusion, and we are stuck in an endless cycle of pain and bitterness; reincarnation. The only way out is to find Nirvana, which anyone can do except, contrary to popular belief, Nirvana doesn’t mean paradise, it means extinction; we become nothingness beyond our conceptions of nothingness. Apparently, nothing is better than suffering. One good, happy thing that came out of religion though, was that we’re going to be getting a 1000円 reimbursement for going on the Tenri fieldtrip! Admittedly though, it was an interesting class, though I’m not going to apply any of it into my own life. I like Tenrikyo much better; pursuing happiness!!!

Being depressed made me hungry, so all I wanted to do was go home and eat; I joked. So, I went back home, and after lunch I did a bit of study. Before long, I had to turn around and go back to university for koto club. I was a little early, so after dropping my bag in the club room I went to photocopy 雅び (Miyabi – “elegance”), which is the new piece we got, at the convenience store; for both Maarika and I. Then I was on a mission to find the keys for the practice room. Since Midori Sempai had suggested it yesterday, I went to the CIE to see if I could find her; she was supposed to get the key out, and pass it on to me. I didn’t find Midori Sempai there, but I did find Mori Sempai, just about to get into the elevator. She let me know where to find the key, and what to say, and then she was off to class; it was up to me. So I went over to student affairs in the main administration building, and told the guy at the reception desk what I needed. It didn’t seem like he understood what I said; I used “sensoubu”, the correct name for koto club. Since that didn’t work, I reverted to using “koto kurabu”. He finally understood, and got me to fill out something before handing me the key. He gave me that look of, “Why is a foreign student doing this”… whatever!!! That done I went back to the club room to find Brittney and Natalie already inside; Natalie has a key too. Before setting up the koto, we had to clean the floor, just like old times, expect with a lot less people; Kirianna turned up about halfway through cleaning, and helped out, which was great.

The five of us (Tami-chan also joined us), then brought the koto and stands down, and got to practicing. Soon, Maarika too showed up, and she went to make copies of Kagaribi for us; so we were even. A bit after she returned, Sensei arrived. Mori and Midori Sempai weren’t here yet, so I was a little worried, but sensei was really great (and Maarika did most of the talking), so pretty soon the two of us were practicing Miyabi with her; and boy did my legs hurt after that. It was Natalie, Kirianna and Tami’s turn after that, and sensei went through the basics with them, and went through Sakura sakura. Mori and Midori Sempai, as well as Riho and Miki (another potential club entrant) joined us during this time. Sensei then went through Hanagoromo with Brittney, and part way through got me to join them; Sensei could sense Brittney was a little nervous playing alone. Sensei then proceeded to play the Shakuhachi part on the koto, which was actually really cool. Finally, it came around Midori and Mori Sempai’s turn, and they played 春の光 (Haru no Hikari – “The light of spring”), which we had never heard before; it was quite pretty. While Riho and Miki didn’t get to play (which I thought was kind of a shame), I think they got a good idea of what the club is all about; they seemed to like Sensei a lot too. After she left, Mori let us know that Sensei would be performing in concert on the 16^th of May (a Sunday) in Nipponbashi, and we could all receive tickets for free; well, the club money would pay for them. Of course I want to go; I think it’ll be spectacular. And since I don’t plan that far in advance, I’m totally free for it. Soon after that announcement, everyone but Maarika, Midori and Mori Sempai, and I left, even though we still had half an hour of practice time left; oh well.

For that remaining time, the girls tried like crazy to get me to be able to do this particular type of strumming action on the koto, that is part of Miyabi; I just couldn’t do it. I was a little jealous that Maarika had gotten the hang of it so fast, but hopefully with a bit of practice I’ll be able to do it; just have to think positive. We ended up going a little overtime, which freaked Mori Sempai out to no end. After we packed up, she was so worried about getting the room key back in time, that she didn’t even lock the practice room first; this resulted in Mori Sempai having to chase after her. All I could do was laugh; Maarika on the other hand was up in the Spanish club room eating an ice cream. Everything turned out fine though, and I ended up riding back with Mori Sempai, after I caught up with her that is; she rides so fast! It was a bit past 8 when I got back, and I just heated up my leftover stew for dinner; always handy when getting back late. At 9, it was cleaning time for Katie and Ash, and Rachel and I helped out also; I had no problem taking the role of leader and letting others know what they should do. While washing up a bit of horseplay occurred, after I made a rather brash comment about staring at certain parts of Ash. Katie decided to take it upon herself to “defend” Ash’s dignity and chased me around the kitchen prodding me in the sides, which of course elicited rather loud cries from me; it was quite hilarious.

It continued when I referred to Ash as “sir” (she’s asked me to call her that before), and she proceeded to call me a “prized plonker” as I said good night to everyone; it was the most British thing she’d said in a while, and it made me so happy. Another bout of prodding ensued in the hall, just as Katie and Sarah were about to get into the elevator; I don’t know what got into Katie. My night of fun wasn’t quite over yet though; it was time to colour my hair! After getting everything ready, and got straight to it and the whole process ended up taking about an hour. However, I was extremely happy with the result; I’m a red head again!!! This red is really nice and subtle though, and covers my roots really well; although I did miss a few spots. I am now very satisfied (there I go again) with my hair, and won’t have to do anything else to it until after I return to Australia. I spent the rest of the night just listening to music, and studying a bit for my vocab quiz in Reading and Writing tomorrow. Also tomorrow, is the practice for the inter-Seminar House sports festival we’re having on Saturday; it’s going to be heaps of fun, as long as everyone shows up. Wow, this was a really long blog post for a weekday…

Day 225 - 12th of April

10:55pm　セミナーハウス

天気：　雨天

Well, just for fun, it decided to pour with rain all day today; and heavy rain at that. This meant that by the end of the day, my jeans and jacket were quite wet; they’re hanging up to dry now. I’m just hoping the weather improves by tomorrow. I really wanted to get my hair cut today, but the relentless downpour completely put me off. Anyway, another Monday… I finally rolled out of the futon at 9, and hurriedly got ready for the day. I managed to get to class just in time, racing on my bike through the rain, icy drops pelting my face; okay, so I’m being a little dramatic. The test today went pretty well, although there was one sentence that I wasn’t happy about at all; I couldn’t think of the grammar pattern to use. Jo revealed to me later that I was a passive sentence; I can’t believe I didn’t think of that. Oh well, I’ll still get part marks for it. The listening part was okay; not the easiest, nor the hardest I’ve had. And I remembered all the vocab words; that part seems to be the least of my problems now. I finished in a little over 30 minutes, and then went down to the lounge, and spent the next 1 and a half just chilling with Rachel, Sarah, and Katie; and Rachael when she came. I did do some kanji practice, and some readings for Gender and Sexuality, so I was at least semi productive.

In Reading and Writing, we started chapter 5, which contains a whole bunch of crazy kanji; it’s going to be fun learning them. After class, I went home (the rain even heavier now), and had lunch before basically crashing for the next 2 hours on my futon; I guess today decided to be a lazy day. Sooner then I wanted it was time to return to uni. Koto club started up again, at the regular time of 4:30. This was the first day for freshmen (and what a lovely day for them… not), so the uni was absolutely packed; especially all the food venues. I dropped my bag in the club room, and then went to the convenience store to get a quick snack. Getting back (snack already devoured), I was just about get started reading Hitman Reborn when guess who arrived; Brittney. She hadn’t been for weeks, so I was quite surprised. Also, considering that Midori and Mori Sempai, and Maarika all have classes until 6 (which is a real shame), so I wasn’t expecting anyone to turn up for a while. Another unexpected arrival was Riho; I think we met once before. She’s a second year student, and seems really nice, though a little reserved; well, I guess that can be expected from a Japanese girl.

So, I thought it would be a good time to set up downstairs in the practice room. Brittney and I both took down koto, but unfortunately when we got there, and I tried the key… it didn’t work; I guess that would make sense. So back up to the club room we went; I felt a pretty bad. We still got a bit of practice in though. Riho practiced sakura, and Brittney Hanagoromo. Soon, Brittney left, and was replaced by Natalie; she helped Riho a lot with Sakura, which was really great. At about 5:30, Kirianna also arrived, although she didn’t stay for very long; and Natalie and Riho were soon to follow. So, then it was just me again. I decided I would have a crack at Kagaribi, so I tuned it and got stuck into it; so difficult. Maarika arrived a bit after 6, and just sat as I played around. When Mori Sempai arrived we could finally get set up downstairs. She was so happy when I told her so many people had showed up today; she had been worried about the fate of koto club. Soon after getting set up, we had another unexpected visitor; Tami-chan. She’s from Puerto Rico, and was Maarika’s roommate during orientation week. Midori arrived soon after, and we all ended up chatting for a good while; a bit too long, as I really wanted to practice.

Today, Maarika and I got started on a new piece, which I can’t remember the name of, but nevertheless it was quite fun, and very challenging; it’s one of the pieces the girls have played before. I’ll get a photocopy of it tomorrow, along with Kagaribi; with the time I have left, I don’t think I’ll be able to get good at that one. Anyway, since it’s a duet, I immediately decided to take second koto; it seems to be a fact that the second part is always harder. Midori helped us a lot, so we had a general idea of what to expect from it. I’m looking forward to the sensei coming tomorrow, and hopefully she approves of us playing these pieces; last time she saw us, we were still on Hanagoromo. So enthralled in practice, we ended up finishing a little late; not that I had to be anywhere. After packing up, and saying goodbye, I rode in the rain for the last time today, and got home around 8. I went straight up to the kitchen, and made gyudon for dinner, catching Katie as she made her way out; she’s just received her certificate, and a generous sum of money for the article she wrote for a competition earlier in this semester. Ash and Rachel we also leaving, so I spent a little while talking with Julie, eating white chocolate and drinking Milo; great combination. At about 9, I went back downstairs, had a shower and then got settled in bed; I guess I felt I deserved a bit of a break. I’ve spent most of the night just playing bejewelled and uploading photos on dA. Well, hopefully the weather’s improved tomorrow, so that I may be a little more productive…

Day 215 - 2nd of April

5:32pm　特急

天気：晴れ

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

6:11pm　地下鉄

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

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

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

8:14pm　二条城

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

9:08pm　スター・バックス

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

9:41pm　特急

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

11:06pm

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

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

Day 165 - 11th of February

天気：雨天
Today was filled with a lot of “unexpected”, but everything turned out for the best… I got up pretty late, relishing the sleep in. It wasn’t until 10:30, when my stomach was hurting me that I finally went up to have some breakfast. While in the kitchen, Asami told me she was sick, and wasn’t up to coming with; a shame, but can’t be helped. Soon after, Jacinthe told me all her other plans had fallen through, and she’d like to join me; I had told her about it before. Then, after I had gotten ready (all dressed up), I decided to go to the computer room to check my email; just in case the time to get there had changed. I was shortly visited by Katie, saying that (for reasons unknown), she was going to come today; okay. So, in the end, it was just Jacinthe and I; I was grateful that I had at least one person. We left for Makino station soon after, and took the local train several stops, till we finally got to 守口市 (Moriguchishi); just before the meeting time. I had no idea where we were meeting them however, but opted for the closest exit; the west exit. We stood near a Makkas for a while, and Maarika, her friend Rose, and Natalie (a prospective new member to our club), suddenly showed up. Maarika didn’t know where we were meeting the girls either, so we wandered around like lost little lambs for a while, until we were found, and promptly united with the rest of the group, at the east exit.

We made our way over to the Moriguchi culture centre, a short walk away, and proceeded to descend the stairwell into the basement, where the washitsu (Japanese-style room) was located. Upon arrival, we took our shoes off, and joined sensei and a number of her other students. We got there at about 1:30, but the concert wasn’t due to start until 2:30; I don’t know why we just didn’t meet at 2, like we had planned in the first place. Anyway, this gave us time to go have some lunch. And guess where we went; Makkas. Well, it was just Jacinthe and I, and Mori-sempai and Natalie; the rest went to Mister Donut. Jacinthe and I tried the New York burger. It was really tasty (patty, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and mustard), but I still liked the Texas burger more. We were a little rushed at the end (the time just escaped us), so we briskly made our way back, and got there just in time. The audience sat on white cushions on the tatami mats, and the performance took place on a red mat, in the adjoining room; the sliding doors had been taken out. Expecting to play shortly, I gave my video camera to Jacinthe, to get her to film for me; she was in a good position to record. It turned out though, that our club wasn’t even on the program; I personally felt a little left out.

But anyway, it was great to see all the other performances. The sensei played both the koto, and shamisen, accompanying her husband on shakuhachi, and also her students. Her youngest student, a cute little girl of 8, played hanagoromo (sensei accompanying). This annoyed me too; Maarika and I could have played with her. But no; oh well. So yeah, the “official” concert went on for about an hour, and Jacinthe managed to get it all on tape; can’t wait to watch it again. Then, disappointingly, many of the audience members left. Sensei’s son, and grandkids, and two other girls were all that remained; and Rose and Jacinthe of course. It was finally our club’s turn to perform, and the girls did such a good job; it was a shame they didn’t get the support they deserved. After they had finished their pieces, Maarika and I were up. Since my video camera was just about full, Jacinthe recorded us on her camera; she wasn’t able to get the others, but she too only had a few minutes left of recording. We played with the shakuhachi, and I was really pleased with myself; I got every note out. I feel I have mastered hanagoromo now, and am more than ready to move onto sandan, and get that really good.

So, all in all, it was a great performance. After us, we packed up the room, and got treats from the sensei, before she, and the remaining audience, left. We set up low tables on the tatami, and sat around and ate together. Pretty soon, the lights were out, and we were telling ghost stories. I didn’t really have anything to contribute, but thoroughly enjoyed listen to the stories, recited in both English, and Japanese. It wasn’t until after 7 that we finally packed up and left the building; out into the rain. Jacinthe had lost her gloves, and thought she might have left them in Makkas. So, we said our goodbyes, and made our way back over there. We didn’t find her gloves unfortunately, but I managed to break my umbrella; another unexpected. This and the fact that I didn’t have a beanie justified in my mind that taking the bus home from Hirakata would be a good idea. Jacinthe had no objections, so that’s what we did once we got back. I had cleaning duties again tonight, and made dinner (gyudon) just in time. Everyone showed up to cleaning, and we got it done in no time. Soon after, Biancha returned from the military base, laden with food; a whole suitcase full. To my sadness, she wasn’t able to find rolled oats; I will have to rethink what I’m going to cook.

Remembering Rachael, and saying that I’d watch Advent Children Complete with her, I hastily made my way down to the lounge. She was ready and rearing to go, the movie set up on her blu-ray drive in her new laptop. And oh wow, was it good; it made me fall in love with FFVII all over again. The quality was superb (it was so pretty), and there was at least 20 minutes on extra footage. This really made the difference, and the movie suddenly made so much more sense, the plot so much more solid. Denzel got a back story, Geostigma posed a real threat and was really scary, and all the fight scenes were elongated, becoming even more epic. Cloud’s character was also much improved; he was smiling more, and showed a real caring for Denzel and Marlene. And, it showed blood, and damage; scratches on Cloud’s bike for example. Little things here and there, made it seem a lot more realistic. So, apart from a few little things, like the weird time jumps, I was most impressed. I read Rachael’s review of it afterwards, admittedly very humorous thought not very professional, and that ended my day. A day full of the unexpected…