Misc. Shenanigans

Well, it's Sunday again, I guess that means I should update this so you all don't think I'm dead and sell all my stuff. This past week was pretty hectic; we had a lot of homework and a lot of classwork, with not a whole lot else going on. Dr. Thompson showed up last Monday, and brought a bit of America with him. None of us really realized just how much we missed home, until he showed up and reminded us that America actually exists, that it's not some obscure rememberance that we all have. We met with Dr. Thompson on Wednesday to discuss Hiroshima, which is next weekend. We'll be spending all day Saturday at Peace Park, which is ground zero the atomic bomb. Sunday we will be going to Miyajima island, the site of a very famous shrine, and where a 1200 year old flame is still burning. The flame was lit by Japan's first emperor, Kammo. Apparently you can drink water heated by it, and this water is supposed to have mystical properties.

(quick break in the action: I just heard the retarded boys from WVU out in the hall and the only words from one of their mouths was, "That's hot" as a response for at least 5 sentences.)

This past weekend, the OU students with with the English Language and Culture Association to Ena, where a traditional onsen is located. On the bus ride, I got teased because of my plethora of earrings, but it was all good-natured ribbing. More of a, "wow you have a lot of earrings" than anything bad. A few of the girls that were around me seemed to enjoy poking them to make me jump. After arrival and going over the rules and dinner, it was bath time. Several of us did go into the bath, which requires you to be completely nude, but some of us took a miss on it. I went into the bath because, well, when in Rome, as they say. It was a nice bonding experience for everyone who went. (No, grab-ass and towel-snapping did not occur. Horseplay in the bath is incredibly dame (bad)) Yesterday morning there was a brief hike, and then breakfast, which was incredibly traditional Japanese food. I should have taken a picture of it to show you, but alas, I thought of it too late. It was Japanese pickles, rice, eggplant, salmon, nori and miso. Not the most appetizing, but still delicious. After breakfast there was a "get to know you" exercise in the gym, all in English, followed by free time. During free time, we decided to teach a group of Japanese kids that were hanging around how to play kickball. I was a captain, and my team won. By a lot. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Free time seguewayed into lunch which was closely followed by a short class, in English, with the Japanese students. It consisted of simple games and the students interviewing us about Japan. Easy stuff. We were supposed to leave almost immediately after the class, but the bus was incredibly late; about an hour and a half late. I didn't mind, it gave me a chance to talk with the Japanese students some more.

When we got back, five of us went to an okonomiyaki place. Okonomiyaki is a type of Japanese pancake with almost anything in it. Mine was pork and kimchi, and it was delicious. It was three of us Americans and a couple of Japanese students who had gone with us to Ena. One of them, Miho, has to commute an hour and forty minutes to get to school. She lives in Gifu, one of the neighboring prefectures. She also happens to be adorable, a plus in any book, I think.

After Okonomiyaki, we returned to the dorm and hung out for a while. I hit the hay around 10:30 or 11:00. The previous night at Ena, I had gone to bed around 1:30 am, "slept" on a futon on a tatami mat floor. It was less than comfortable and my shoulder was killing me the next morning when I woke up for the hike at 7:00. So last night I slept from around 11 until 9:00 this morning. It felt pretty great.

I looked at classes for winter quarter today. I'm almost done. This is scary to me. Especially since I'm not sure what I'm doing when I graduate anymore. Winter quarter (tentative) is as follows:
Intermediate Japanese II
Intermediate Thai II
Symphony Orchestra
Women in Buddhism
Greek Archeaology
Bringing my credit hours to 18 for winter. After that, then, I will need only two more courses: another random Tier II and my capstone course, then I can graduate. When I talked to Laura at the end of spring quarter, she said that I could have a couple of easy quarters and then graduate. I told that I still wanted to do Thai and Japanese and Symphony so it wouldn't be easy at all. I wish that I had the time to take some other courses that didn't count for anything, but that's what I get for switching majors. That is, perhaps, the biggest regret I have about college. Sure, I've made many mistakes, but I wish I would have switched my major earlier. Although it was probably starting out ChemE that made me realize how much I didn't actually like it.

Today is my turn to cook dinner. We're going to have fish soup with carrots and potatoes and bread. James and I went down to the Super to do some grocery shopping. The super has a little section where you can buy pre-cooked things, and a little area in which to eat them. I bought several types of baked goods, including some sort of cinnamon bread. It was amazing. I miss baked goods.

This week we have a quiz and two tests. Both tests are on my birthday. The sensei's may be getting a little too much enjoyment out of that joke. I don't want tests for my birthday, quit saying they're my presents! Then to Hiroshima on Friday night. Tests on my birthday, then to the atomic bomb site. It's going to be a cheery one this year. Oh well, them's the breaks. I did get a package from Mom about a week ago. I'm waiting to open that on Thursday, on my actual birthday. I also got a card and letter from Grandma, which is definitely appeciated. It was nice to get news from home. I miss all of you, but I am having a lot of fun, fo sho. Love you all,