FOOD!!! XD

2/3/10 room, evening- I got up this morning (on time, yes!! >_<) and was happy to find one of my favorite breakfasts waiting for me. It is rice with an egg cracked on top of it, soy sauce, and little dried shreds of shrimp all mixed together into this slimy concontion that I find absolutely DELICIOUS!!! :d :d :d

I studied / talked to Kai throughout the commute. We talked about how I am going to make spaghetti for dinner next week during the break. We talked about the yumminess of spaghetti for a while and now I can hardly wait!

We went to check our mail slots once we got to Nanzan and we had a survey in them. The CJS (Center for Japanese Studies) is having a day trip free of charge for the study abroad students and we get to vote on where we will go. The choice was Kyoto or Takayama. I had never heard of Takayama at the time (I have since looked it up) and Kai san said she really wants to go to Kyoto so we both circled Kyoto on the paper and handed it in.

Class was good. During kanji class we were interviewing one another. And I somehow always got food into my answers. Kai san teased me saying I would get fat the way I eat. I said yeah I’d look like a sumo wrestler. She then asked me “Sumo san to tsukiaitai desu ka?” “tsukiau” is a new vocab we just learned and it took me a second to remember what it meant. When I did I burst out laughing. I had to lay my arms and head on my desk and it took me a minute to compose myself. Kai san had just asked me, “Do you want to date a sumo wrestler??” I found it so funny I didn’t even bother to tell her I didn’t want to; she is just too much fun. :D But what exactly is it lately with people being so concerned about my relationship status anyway??? :o

After class today there was a Coffee Hour being held to give study abroad students the chance to meet and talk to Japanese students. I ate my lunch and drank milk tea instead of coffee. I saw Naoko san and said hi to her. She gave me a hug. I stayed and talked for a while but had to leave a bit early b/c I had to get home so my host mom and I could go to a setsu bun together like we planned. I didn’t get a chance to thank Naoko san for turning me onto LoveCom. :( Oh well, next time.

When I got home my host mom fed me azuki goodness (red bean paste) and milk!!! :d :d :d Then we drove to a nearby temple and shrine area where the setsu bun festivities were being held. I have learned about this particular festival before. It has to do with cleansing oneself and one’s house for the New Year. Traditionally you throw beans at someone dressed as an “Oni” which is demon or devil. And you say “oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi”, “demons out, good fortune in”. People also eat one bean for each year old they are. So my host mom would have to eat 64 of them! But we didn’t really go the traditional route. We visited the awesome shrines and temples and we got beans thrown at us from the larger temple deck. We drank what my host mom called “sweet sake”. She said even children can drink it so I am assuming there was minimal to no alcohol in it. I had a half a cup of it. It was so hot I could barely taste the sweet but it wasn’t bad at all. We clustered around a bonfire which made me happy because I LOVE bonfires! And finally my host mom bought us the really long sushi rolls that are customarily eaten this time of year for good luck.

We went back home and had more snacks!! It has been a really good food day… I did pilates, checked email, and after this entry I will do work until dinner. Mmmm, dinner, I can’t wait! (17:46)