The last week of this month, we got the floors waxed and therefore got a half day off. Starting from the next day, the lab went on a group trip to Ise shrine, which is in Mie prefecture. We left on Friday and had some fancy French food before walking around the shrine. We stayed in a ryokan-style hotel with onsen and kaiseki dinner. Many of the group members stayed up playing mahjong or other board games. I, of course, didn’t participate being the party pooper I am. I just took full advantage of the onsen. For our sleeping arrangements, it was 3-4 people per room, and I found myself settled between two of the assistant professors: Ohkanda-sensei and Amelie-san. Naturally, I couldn’t let them see me sleeping, so I snook out around 4:30. I got to see the sunrise and be the first one in the onsen at 6:30.
For the afternoon, we went on a hike. The stones were gathered from around the area (rather than imported from other areas) and it’s supposedly the longest network of its kind in the country. We had two wiry, elderly tour guides who were spryer than many of us. I think all of us will remember the time as a hot strenuous one where we were wondering when it would end.