In the afternoon, I went to Yoshida campus to submit my housing contract so the University could sign off as my guarantor, in case I make my downstairs neighbor’s roof cave in as I roll over in my sleep.
Happy Easter! Takashima-san and I parted ways with Tan-san on the train as we went to church like normal today. It’s raining again. And the sakura are falling off. I was quickly whisked away by Sato-san, who desperately wanted me to meet her grandson, who had just started college the past week in Osaka, or somewhere reasonably close by.
Takashima-san didn’t come because he had plans to go sakura-watching with Prakash. Anyway, her chef son-in-law made us a feast of a few varieties of pasta, salad, and bread. I don’t think I was much help to the chap, who was so pooped out to begin with, but now at least he has a ‘merican contact for when he wants to come to the States to watch his bucket list basketball game...and maybe study abroad on the side. He’s only been here for four days, and he’s already homesick! He’s from a rural area of Gifu, and I guess it’s rather shocking to come to a more suburban environment (we’re not in the city city...). And it was fun hearing him talk, because he talks like my cousins (Gifu is close to Aichi and Mie, where most of the other cousins live). It was of course Sato-san and her daughter talking and we wrapped up around 4:30. They were kind enough to give me a ride back to ~home. Miraculously, it was sunny today! All this week, it was supposed to rain today, but the forecast changed yesterday! I met Tan-san at Gion-shijyou (祇園四条) and we walked to the ex-imperial palace after a nice snack. The walk itself was much more enjoyable than anything else, because it was a genuine eyeful. Once we got to the palace, there were a lot of people but it was a unique opportunity to see the inside of the grounds, as you usually need a reservation. Then off to Uji and Byodouin. We went inside and then walked around for a while. Our last destination was sushi, but since we were kind of waiting around for our bellies to make more room for the stuff, we went all the way home before visiting a sushi place nearby. Rainy day.
Takenoya-san had to rush home for a family emergency, Takaya-san had to leave early, and Asano-san was busy, so Takashima-san and I had a jolly time with our idioms for English time. Fortuitously, the rain had mercy and it was actually sunny and warm today. It was particularly fortunate because I was assigned by Nakashima-san to take some new international students from the Philippines to the city hall to get their addresses registered and all. I was quite concerned about it, as I’m deathly afraid of kanji and these city offices are full of them. But Takashima-san was kind enough to come along too, so that was a huge, huge relief. So it was me, him, two new international students, and Louvy. We went after lunch and it took a couple hours at the office. I then forged on alone to the city office of my new apartment. I got there just in time and was able to finish up all the paperwork. I was very thankful for that.
The sakura are blooming beautifully! They are everywhere. I was back on the Shinkansen around 10 and back at lab at 1. It’s gotten really cold and drizzly.
We were put up in the same hotel that we stayed in during the orientation. Nothing has changed, not even the breakfast buffet! It’s a strange feeling, being here 6 months later. The day was pretty much just a venue to share our experiences so far and what we plan to do in the remaining time that we have. Of all of the places that we could have gone for dinner, why did we have to go to Hooter’s? I had to tuck my cultures away early in the morning before jetting off to Tokyo on the bullet train. I need to go to the mid-year conference for Fulbright, and we have a coffee session from 3 that I had signed up to participate in. After the coffee session, we had a lecture on calligraphy in movies, and how they relate to subtitling, or something like that. Way, way over my head. I enjoy movies to zone out, not to use what little brain power I have left. It was OK to stay, though, since I had the first pizza I’ve had for months. I can be like a proper college student again. Eating all the free pizza.
Afterward, some of the folks wanted to go to karaoke, so off we went. It still puzzles me why people like this practice. |
CategoriesGreetingsThis is certainly not a mandatory read. If anything, take a glance and let your eyes glaze over, and be relieved that you don't have to endure it at all. Instead, get back to that tome you should be studying. |