thanksgiving in Japan??? and not feeling well

dorm room - post lunch. Weather has been cool and sunny. Yesterday I had language, linguistics, and flower arranging. Then in the evening I went to our dorm's potluck thanksgiving dinner. Since there are several Americans living in the dorm and since the Japanese students like any opportunity to have a party they decided to have a thanksgiving event even though it is strictly an American holiday I think. The food was really good for being made by a bunch of students. I didn't make anything b/c I haven't been feeling well. Hopefully though I can lick my cold really soon.

Today I went to language class and I will have politics at around 3 o'clock. I called my boss and said I wouldn't be coming in this evening b/c I don't feel well and I don't think I should cough all over the customers... I will go to bed early tonight instead.

don't wanna think about leaving permanently...

dorm room post dinner - Yesterday was uneventful and today I went to class and a re-entry session for study abroad students. The session was mostly telling us what we had to do between now and when we return to our home countries. I was kind of bummed listening to it b/c as much as a I miss my family and friends I don't want to leave Japan forever. :( I comfort myself and others with the notion that I'll return one day. But when or how I'm not yet sure.

today's highlight: rain :)

dorm room post dinner - rainy day. I enjoyed the rain today. Had language class and talked to my parents via skype. Otherwise fairly uneventful day.

weekend trip so far

dorm room post dinner - have been chilly lately. Friday night I went to work. Today I had a day off from work. I mainly organized my room and tried to study/goofed off. This evening I went to a party at a friend's host family's house. Their house is part sushi restaurant so we ate good food and did karaoke for four hours. Now I'm back in my dorm room and looking forward to some sleep.

life isn't worth writing about...

dorm room late night - cool but sunny day. I had language and writing class today. Other than homework and general cleaning not much news to report. Hope my life gets more interesting soon... 'o'

day in and day out, same old routine

dorm room late night - weather has been getting cooler.

I have been going through my days without much new stuff to report. I worked over the weekend and had dinner with a coworker Sunday night. She and I both really like a restaurant called Pastel. I wish I had more exciting news to report but for now that's about it.

autumn in full swing, interview, and pre kanji test jitters (this title is longer than my entry...)

dorm room late night - cooler and cooler weather.

Today I had language and translation class and also met with a Japanese student to get interviewed for a project of hers. It was a fun interview b/c we talked about anime! :D I have been goofing off/trying to do work since then. Kanji test tomorrow... always fun.

KYOTO IES trip and the Monday after

dorm room post lunch - It has been cloudy and cool.

Saturday - The Kyoto trip started well with our group leaving only 5 minutes behind schedule!! The bus ride was long; I mostly daydreamed and stared out the window. We eventually arrived at Kodaiji, an area that has the Kiyomizudera (famous temple). We had three hours of free time. I had already been to this area last semester with a group of Nanzan students for a day trip. I knew the place well and so felt confident to walk around and not get lost! I looked at the temple and grounds again and walked along the streets lined with shops. I tried a lot of free samples! I ate lunch with a group of fellow IES students and had beef udon. :d I walked around a little more and then headed back to the bus at the appointed time.

Then we all went to a place called Marumasu Nishimuraya which an AWESOME shop that allows customers to paint designs on paper fans. The whole process was really fun and I can't wait to get the fan back that I painted. Then after that we went to our Japanese traditional inn for the night. The dinner was amazing as always but this time we had dinner and a show. A maiko and a geiko performed a dance for us and afterwards we got to take pictures with them, talk with them, and play a fun game with them. A geiko is basically a geisha but in the west of Japan and particularly in Kyoto that is the name the performers prefer to be called. A maiko is an apprentice geiko. After dinner I went and relaxed in the public baths with some IES buddies. Then did some homework with some other IES girls and then went to bed.

The next morning I ate breakfast which was yummy and then we all checked out and got on the bus. We went to Nijo Castle which was really nice. Our tour guide was named Mie and she was so funny and told us so many cool things about the castle. Then our tour guides went with us to Kinkakuji and showed us that temple as well. Then we said goodbye to our two guides and went to another area of the city called Arashiyama. I had been to Kinkakuji before with the Nanzan group last semester and I had also been to Arashiyama before with my host mom. Still it was a lovely place. I looked around a temple and got to ride a rickshaw !! The rickshaw driver was really good and took us (another student and me) through the bamboo forest and all over town. Practicing your Japanese with a rickshaw driver while he is flying you through a bamboo forest is something you simply never forget. I honestly felt like I had been transported back to some past historical era of Japan.

Eventually we all met up at the appointed time in the bus and started home. The bus driver put on a movie for us this time. The movie was Ponyo, a Miyazaki movie. I had already seen it but this time it was in Japanese with no subtitles so it was good listening practice. Then we watched a couple of episodes of a show called Shin chan. Unfortunately I really could have done without watching those... I don't care for that show but again at least I could practice understanding the Japanese. When we arrived back at Nagoya station we all headed in our different directions. I took the subway back to my dorm and showered and went to bed. This morning I got up early, finished homework, studied, and went to language class. After class I talked with my parents via skype. Now I want to get as much done as possible before Aikido practice.

3 days worth

dorm room late night - cool weather.

The last day I stayed with my host mom we made rolls together and went to eat at a soba restaurant. At around 4:30 in the afternoon she drove me all the way back to my dorm.

Yesterday I had language, linguistics, and flower arranging. Today I had language and politics and went to work in the evening. Today for politics class I watched the US Ambassador to Japan speak and answer questions from Nanzan students.

Tomorrow is the IES trip to Kyoto. This will be my third time in Kyoto and I'm really excited.

day two at host mom's house: a lesson, a park, and more

room post dinner, cool day - Today I got up at 8 and went down to breakfast. After eating I went jogging/skipping/walking in the rice fields, something I've missed doing. At 10 my host mom and I went to her English lesson. Her sensei and all her classmates were thrilled to see me again and we had a really fun lesson. The sensei gave me lots of snacks and I gave each lady a business card from my part time job.

After saying goodbye to everyone and promising to come again before I left Japan my host mom and I went to a restaurant where you make okonomiyaki on a stove in front and you. okonomiyaki is delicious and making it yourself is really fun.

Then we went to a large park and drank herb tea at a shop inside the park. When we got home we watched some TV and talked. This evening we ate at a kaiten zushi which is a restaurant that serves the sushi on a conveyer belt. We ate with my host mom's daughter Megumi and her two kids Tomo and Ko. It was very tasty. I will probably hit the hay after my bath b/c I sure am beat once again.

host mom's house; returning to where it all began

host mom's house, my room, post dinner pre bath - Pleasantly cool day. It was day one of visiting my host mom from last semester and I have fallen in love with her all over again. I swear if she didn't live so far away from campus there is no way I would have chosen to stay in the dorms this semester. If only, if only.

I got up early and arrived at Kouzouji train station in Kasugai city (outskirts of Nagoya). My host mom met me there and we had a nice little reunion. Then we went and had a brunch at a cafe/restaurant. Then we drove to Seto city which was about an hour and a half away. It is far into the mountains and we went to a small village and walked around for a while. I saw a performing monkey, many beautiful craft shops, gorgeous scenery, and much more. We ate at the village and my host mom bought a few snacks for later. We then headed back to her house. We had tea and snacks when we arrived home and started settling me back into my old room. I forgot how much I missed this room (much better than my dorm one). The last time I stayed in this room I was in such a completely different emotional state that it feels as though it was another me that stayed here and this newer me is simply remembering it from a faint dream. Outside of the noise and bustle of the inner city I feel a whole lot calmer here and I find myself wishing against all possibility that I can live here again.

While my host mom and I were still talking in my room she pulled out a chest full of clothes that belonged to her late husband. He died about three years ago from cancer. She asked me if I needed any clothes. Of course most of them were too big or too... old-man-ish. But I did decide to keep two pairs of sweat pants, a sweater, a slicker, and a scarf. I love receiving clothes b/c it means I don't have to buy them. I loathe spending money on anything except food and transportation. :P I thought it was really nice of my host mom to give them to me. We then looked at each other's photos. She had lots from her Italy trip this past June and I had lots period.

We eventually started making dinner together. We made tempura and lots of other dishes to go with it. Everything was delicious. We watched TV after dinner and after doing the dishes. Then I came up here to crank out a blog entry, make my bed, plug in to charge my cell and camera batteries, and otherwise get ready for bath time. I think I will stretch a bit too. After bath time I am going straight to bed b/c today was as exhausting as it was wonderful and refreshing. I really needed this break. I didn't realize how much I needed it until now. Tomorrow we have lots of fun things planned as well.