Home Sweet Home!

We took off a little later than scheduled last night, but we only arrived about 10 minutes late in Adelaide.  John had told my daughter Hayley that I'd be flying over their house on Yorke Peninsula at about 7.00am so she went out with the kids to wave to me.  The sun was coming up as we flew over, so the plane and its trail were glowing orange.

Hi Granny!

The flight was awful - one of the bumpiest I've ever had, but I managed to doze for about an hour, greatly helped by the fact that I had two seats to myself.

When the plane stopped after landing we were all asked to remain in our seats as we had a quarantine issue.  Eeek!  Apparently someone became very ill during the flight and this had to be checked out.  We only had to wait for about 5 minutes and then I cleared through passport and customs and at last got to see John who was waiting for me.  I'll be watching out for signs of the plague.

It's lovely to be home and I had fun emptying out all the goodies from my bags.  I've certainly had an amazing three weeks and I feel so lucky to have such a wonderful husband who encourages me to achieve my dreams.

Now, what's next???

A missed photo!

Just found this stray photo that I took this morning in the loo of the hotel - had to share!

Kawaii floral arrangement!

Taking it easy in KL

May 01

Nothing much to report today – but I made it to the airport on time and I’m sitting comfortably in the Plaza Lounge at Kuala Lumpur.

I had enough time to have breakfast before making my way to the station.  Happy to report that I took the right road and got on the right train!  I was pleased that I got on the train at the first station, as it was pretty crowded by the time it got to the airport.

My baggage was fine.  The carry-on baggage went a bit over, but as I only had the backpack besides that, I don’t think they were too fussed.  I got the backpack plastic wrapped, mostly to avoid the risk of the whole thing bursting at the seams and distributing all my kawaii items all over the airport.

I had a very smooth flight to Kuala Lumpur and was pleased that I booked into the Plaza Lounge.  I had a nice dinner and a coffee and then used the free Wi-fi to Skype John.  I’m feeling sad that I’ve left Japan but happy that I’ll be seeing my man in the morning.

I’m just about to go and have a shower and then take it easy till flight time.  I didn’t even take any photos today but here are a couple of pictures to express my feelings.



Thinking of leaving Japan

 

Thinking of seeing John
 

Kate's Last Stand

(For April 30) 

At last – a sleep in!  I took it really easy this morning as I’m S-O-O-O-O-O tired.  I didn’t leave the hotel until about 10.00am.  My first task was to walk from the hotel to the Nankai Railway Station to make sure I don’t stuff it up tomorrow.  There is an intersection near the hotel, with one road heading for the JR Railway Station, one to the subway station and one to the Nankai Station.  I’m now familiar with the road that goes to the subway station, so I was able to take the right road to the Nankai Station.  I went as far as the ticket gate and checked the whole procedure, and felt confident that my sense of direction won’t let me down in the morning.

I went browsing around the Namba City and Namba Parks shopping centres and bought a few cute things.  Next stop was Starbucks for a chai latte and a bit of decision making.  As the cinema was nearby, I decided to go to the movies.  I saw Arnie in ‘Rasuto Sutando’ (that’s Last Stand for those who aren’t familiar with translating Japanese ‘loan words’).  The film was in English but with Japanese subtitles.  I did my best to keep up with reading the subtitles, but wasn’t 100% successful.  I did learn how to say the word that literally means “crap” but can be used for “dammit” or any other expression of annoyance or anger.  It’s probably a bit hard to subtitle an Arnie movie in a country where manners are paramount.

Need undies for your horse or zebra - go to Osaka!

Lunch was a sandwich and cake sitting on a wall while everyone rushed past.

I then took the subway to Shinsaibashi to visit the Tokyu Hands shop.  This is a shop full of the cool and cute little things that are always popular in Japan.  I must have heard the word “kawaii” (cute) at least ten times during my visit.  Well justified too.  There are loads of really cute stationery items and I had to buy a few to tuck in the very few spaces left in my baggage.  One of my favourites is a staple-less stapler made by Harinacks.  I’m not sure what I liked most, the item or the brand name.  I did have a silly grin on my face for a while.

My last night in Osaka and what did I do for dinner?  I bought some stuff from the kombini and took it back to the hotel!  I just felt like I’d had enough of people and I wanted some quiet time.

After my delectable feast, I emptied everything out of all of my bags and started the process of sorting out – heavy or light, allowed in cabin or not allowed, needed during transit stop or not needed and what needed to be accessible to declare when going through customs.  Quite a task for a weary traveller!  I can’t believe how many Doraemon books I bought (I think it’s eleven!).

I broke up the task by having a Skype chat with John, but couldn’t put it off after that.  I helped it along with a beer - in a stylish bottle, I might add.  Here is the picture to prove it.

 

 

 

I have no idea how much my baggage weighs and don’t have any scales to check.  The check-in baggage won’t be a problem as I have a 30kg allowance and will only be checking in the backpack.  My carry-on bag could be an issue, but I’ll find that out at the airport.

My last task was to book a wake-up call just to be on the safe side.  I want to fit in my last Toyoko Inn breakfast (even though this hotel doesn’t do my favourite rice balls) and then I’m going to the airport earlier than I need to, as I’d rather stroll around the airport with no stress than worry about making it in time.

Shopping in Osaka

(For April 29)

[Note: Just in case anyone notices, I need to put the record straight.  My issue with the overcrowded elevator was when I was leaving Hamamatsu, not when I was leaving Kyoto.  Just in case you wonder why I wrote the same thing again!)

Another early train trip today to go to back to Osaka where the journey began.  How quickly it has all gone but it's been such an amazing experience.

I planned my timing very carefully this morning, but failed to allow for the fact that this hotel has only one elevator, and I needed to get down to the ground floor during the very busy breakfast/checking out time. When the elevator arrived, it was packed full of people. Not even Twiggy with a small handbag would have squeezed in, let alone me with two pieces of luggage. I waved them on, and waited for the next run. After descending to the ground floor, the elevator went right back up to the 12^th floor, dropping off the people who were returning from breakfast and then came back down picking up more people to go down. By the time it got back to me on the 7^th floor it was full again! ‘Hotel California’ came to mind. I decided to give it one more try, but on the third occasion, I gave up and lugged my bags down seven flights of stairs.

From the train window - a mix of agriculture and industry

The journey was very uneventful and very fast!  I got off the shinkansen in Shin Osaka and took the subway to Namba.  I had no trouble finding the hotel this time - it's just like coming home!  After dropping off my bags, it was time to hit the shops.  I had a lot of fun in the 100 yen store.  One of my purchases was a bag of dried peaches which were really nice.  I realised afterwards that I'd eaten the equivalent of about 12 peaches which probably wasn't a very smart idea, but all was well.  I could have stayed in the shop all day, but I have to fit whatever I buy into my bags, so I've got to be careful.  I did buy a tote bag from another store, but want to try to stick to my handbag if possible.  The tote bag says "Girl is made of sweets and spices.  Therefore, also the highest one for your fashionable life."  Well, who could resist that!

The crowds in Osaka were unbelievable.  As everyone is on holiday, it felt like everyone in Japan was in Dotonbori.  Walking up the shopping street was like walking through the Tokyo Railway Station in peak hour!  I walked along the riverside to see if I could find the cool little restaurant that we visited on a previous visit, but I couldn't find it.  It could be that it's no longer there, but it could also be that I wasn't looking in the right place.

Shopping - lot's of shopping

I bought a scrumptious banana parfait for lunch.  I intended it to be a snack, but I didn't need anything more after that.  I sat and ate it by the river and just watched the world go by feeling very relaxed.

I browsed through so many shops it made my head spin and my ankles swell again but I had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon.  The weather was quite humid but it was fine in the shops where I spent most of my time.

Koinobori flying in Dotonbori in readiness for Children's Day on May 5th

I'd made my way to the Shinsaibashi area by dinner time, so I stopped in at a little restaurant for dinner.  There was a family, perhaps German, who got there just before me.  The husband/father seemed quite annoyed that there wasn't an English menu and he disappeared leaving the wife and daughter to eat while he went somewhere else (McDonald's maybe?).  No sense of adventure!

I made it painfully back to the hotel and sorted out the spoils of the day, then chatted with John for a while before bed.

Last day tomorrow - I hope my feet make it through another day.

Sightseeing in Hamamatsu

(For April 28) 

I had a very early start today to catch the shinkansen to Hamamatsu (the birthplace of Honda!). 

I made it to the station with plenty of time to spare and tried to get some good shinkansen photos for Ulla to show to her school class.  The trains come and go so quickly, it’s difficult to click at the right time but I managed a few shots.  The advantage of the shinkansen is that it looks exactly the same from both ends, so it doesn’t matter if it’s coming or going.

For the record, this one was arriving

 

I settled in to my comfortable shinkansen seat – which is like a plane seat, but with more leg room – and soon we were hurtling our way to Hamamatsu.  I had to change trains at Nagoya, so I was careful not to nod off.  This was the easiest train change I’ve ever had to do.  I got off the first train, which then went on its way, then my second train arrived at the same platform.  I wish every change could be so simple.

I arrived in Hamamatsu and my penfriend Toshi was there to meet me.  We dropped off my bags at the hotel, then hired a car to go sightseeing.

We went for a long drive up to Harunocho in the mountains.  The scenery was beautiful with many rivers and steep tree-covered mountains.  Toshi pointed out patches of light purple flowers among the greenery.  They were ‘fuji’ or Japanese wisteria, often seen in the headwear of geisha.  They were really lovely growing out in the natural landscape.

We visited the large Tengu mask – a bit of a fierce looking character (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tengu if you're interested in this red-faced long-nosed guy.)

Tengu with Toshi and with Kate

 

This place was also the birthplace of Tetsuzo Shirai, a famous director of the Takarazuka Revue.  There is a statue and a small museum showing some early photographs, posters etc.  We took a bit of time looking around the area.  There was a ‘gang’ of scooter riders who arrived, reminding me of our earlier journeys in Japan.

 

A nice view from the front of the Tetsuzo Shirai Museum

On the way back down from the mountains, we dropped in to a roadside stop with a shop and the lovely smell of cooking food.  We had a really nice rice ‘thing’ for a snack.  It was cooked rice moulded into a shape around a flat stick.  This was then dipped into a delicious sauce and cooked over coals.  It was really tasty!

Our delicious morning snack

 

Now that's my kind of vending machine!!

Our next stop was to be the preparation for the Kite Festival which will be held next weekend.  This festival is held every year in May at the Nakatajima Dunes in Hamamatsu and attracts a very large crowd.  I hope to be able to make a trip to see it one day.

We were a little too early for the kite preparation, so Toshi took me to the Book Off store that we’d seen earlier.  I was able to find a couple more books for the collection.

We then went around to the area where the kite was being prepared, which was a short walk from Toshi’s house.  There was a large group of people working on the kites, and some young people who blow trumpets and bang drums during the Festival.  It must be very exciting to see and hear.

Preparing the kite

The kite had bamboo struts and had to have strings tied across it to bend it, and then the strings for flying it were attached.  It looked like a very skilled operation that has to be done properly to enable the kite to fly properly.  It was very interesting to see the kite close up and to see what was involved in preparing it.  Once it was ready, it was put in an upright position (and tied to the balcony of the house so it didn’t blow away) and photos were taken.  Someone then brought around small cups of sake and everyone yelled ‘kampai!’  Toshi will put some photos on Facebook after the Festival so I’ll be able to see how it went.

The finished kite

 

After that, we drove around the Lake Hamano area and past the sand dunes where the Kite Festival will be held.  There is an amazing white bridge which we crossed over.  Unfortunately, my photo doesn’t really do it justice, but it was a very unusual design.  During this part of the outing Toshi stopped and bought a taiyaki, which is made from a batter cooked in a fish shape with sweetened bean paste inside.  It was really nice.

A very unusual bridge

 

Really?

We went back to our starting point and I checked into the hotel and took my bags upstairs, before heading off to a nearby izakaya.  We had edamame, gyouza, sashimi and an egg dish.  Oh, and of course, beer!  I also had a very nice mikan (Japanese orange) flavoured drink which I’ve forgotten whether it was sake or shouchu.  I believe it was shouchu, but I'd already had my giant beer by then, so I forgot.  “What’s the difference?” I hear you ask.  Sake is brewed and shouchu is brewed and then distilled.  It was similar to our Bacardi Breezers or Vodka Cruisers and I’m sure that if I’d had more than one I would have really regretted it.  One was very nice and it was a nice way to end the day.  I was so very grateful to Toshi for taking the time to show me around and I hope that we can return the favour one day.

KAMPAI!!

Farewell to Kanazawa and Giggles in the Book Shop

(For April 27)

When I emerged from my much-needed sleep this morning, I heard strange voices in the house.  The Hyakuman’s son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren (aged 3 and 6) had come for a visit.  They very kindly gave me a souvenir from Kyoto – an nice fabric iPhone case and a souvenir face washer.  Everyone has been so good to me!

I watched a bit of ‘Tomasu’ (as in 'the Tank Engine'), read a book about different coloured hats which belonged to different animals, and watched the 6 year old producing some origami objects.  I also gave a demonstration of the noise a koala makes.  They were all quite surprised that such a noise could emerge from such a cute creature.

The Hyakumans took me to the station and we said our farewells at the gate.  It was sad to part from them as they have made me very welcome and have been so helpful to me during my stay.

I met up with Ulla on the platform and we boarded the train heading for Osaka.  I left at Kyoto to spend one night there before heading off to Hamamatsu in the morning.  As my time in Kyoto was so short, I deposited my bags in a locker at the Kyoto Station so I could go sightseeing straight away.  Well, almost straight away.  Firstly I went to the nearby shopping area to find lunch.  With so many things to choose from, it was hard to make up my mind, but I eventuall settled on takoyaki (octopus balls) with onion and a tasty sauce.  I had 8 of them, which was a little excessive as they make them big here!

Lunch in progress

...and the finished product!

 

Who's missing??

With a tummy full of octopus, I found my way to the bus stop and took the bus out to the Philosopher’s Path.  This is a very  pleasant walk along the side of a small river, with many temples and shrines along the way.  During cherry blossom season, it is said to be even more beautiful, but I enjoyed a lovely stroll on a lovely day despite the lack of blossoms.

 

 

 

 

 

Along the Philosophers' Path

 

Ladies in kimono along the Philosophers' Path

I took the bus back to the station, then lugged my bags to the hotel.  It was nice to be back in my ‘haven’ of a Toyoko Hotel room.

Petrol station with no bowsers.  The hoses are suspended
above and pulled down when in use

After a Skype call to John, I set off to find the Book Off store which was within a reasonable walking distance from the hotel.  I was looking to add more Doraemon books to my collection and went in armed with my list.  I showed the list to the young man at the counter and asked where I would find these books.  They were located upstairs, and as the shop guy’s workmate came along to look at the list too, the first guy gave him a good smack in the face as he gestured that they were upstairs  We all had a good laugh and I had to try to stop giggling as I made my way up the stairs.  As Book Off is a second-hand book store, I don’t ever expect to get exactly what I want, but this time I was in luck.  There was only one Doraemon book in the store, and it happened to be the one that I had marked with an asterisk as my ‘most wanted’.  The shop assistant was most apologetic that there was only one, but I was very happy with my purchase.

Having made a special effort to remember that I needed to turn left as I left the shop, I managed to make my way back to the hotel without getting lost – even despite the fact that there were two Lawsons kombinis, two other Toyoko Hotels and a bit of a sleazy guy to confuse me along the way.  I bought a light dinner and some breakfast for tomorrow at one of the kombinis along the way, so I’m all set for my very early start tomorrow to catch the train for Hamamatsu at 7.06am. 

Graduation Day and a Thunderstorm

(For 26 April)

Today was our last day of lessons.  The two weeks have gone by so fast.  I feel like I’ve just nicely settled in, and it’s time to go.  During class, we had to show an interesting photo and discuss it with our classmates.  I chose a picture of our house and talked about that.  During my preparation, I looked up the word ‘valley’ in my Japanese dictionary.  The sample sentences included things like ‘the valley narrowed’, ‘the house was in the valley’, ‘a stream ran through the valley’ etc.  In addition, there was ‘Yuki has a push-up bra’.  Seems that valley and cleavage can be described with the same word!  Stands to reason really.

After our class, it was time for our Graduation Ceremony.  Our host families came along to watch and we were all presented with our certificates.  Our rendition of “Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree’ went down well.  My host mother later said that she was impressed with us doing it as a round.  That wasn’t exactly what she said, but that’s my interpretation of the conversation.

Class of 2013 - with teachers and host families

We all voted our most skilled student, Rebecca, to make a speech on our behalf and she did an amazing job.  The staff had also put together a DVD of photos which they showed as a slide show.  It was a bit sad seeing all of the great things we’d done and knowing that the whole thing is at an end.

After we had about 200 photos taken (all the cameras lined up in a row), we had iced tea and nibbles and chatted as best we could with our limited knowledge of each other’s languages.

One of the staff came around and took our certificates back and gave us new ones.  Apparently there was a mistake in one of the kanji characters, so they corrected and replaced them.  I’m not sure that too many people in my life would have noticed (including me), but I guess it’s nice to have it right.

As we were about to part company for the last time, 8 of us went out to have lunch together.  It was nice to sit, relax and chat before it was time to move on.  Ulla, Jasmine and I said our goodbyes to the rest of the group and set off for the Samurai House.

Finding the Samurai House proved to be a bit of a challenge as the maps are really not very clear.  We found the right area and took some photos along the way, then eventually we found the right house.  It was a very nice house and the garden was beautiful.

Around the Samurai District

Inside the Samurai House

 

Letter in the Samurai House

In the garden of the Samurai House

It was a beautiful garden - as so many Japanese gardens are

 

After that – surprise, surprise – Ulla wanted to go to Uniqlo to do some more shopping.  Good grief!  Jasmine and I headed for Starbucks instead and rested our legs in a civilised manner over coffee.  Once Ulla came back with her new clothes, we went looking for the place where visitors can have a ‘hands on’ Japanese craft session.  It started to rain and then the thunder and lightning started.  My little 350 yen ($3.50 umbrella) has served me well.  Again we had trouble finding our destination, but after asking at an Information Booth, we found the right place.  We had a good browse, but couldn’t go up to the second floor to do the ‘hands-on’ thing as that part closed at 4.00pm and we were too late.  Once we’d finished our browsing, we decided to get the bus back to the station, due to the thunderstorm.  As we walked out the front door, a bus arrived with “Kanazawa Station” written on the front so we hopped on.and travelled back in comfort.

Back at the station, it was time for some more browsing and Ulla bought a beautiful Mary Quant bag.

I then caught the bus home and felt a moment of sadness as I dropped my last ticket into the box as I left the bus.  When I got home, I walked in to a real treat.  We had sukiyaki for dinner.  I’d never had that before, and I enjoyed it very much.  We then had a beautiful piece of cake each.  My host family has really gone to a lot of trouble to give me a wonderful experience.

Dinner

On the spur of the moment, I asked if I could use the Internet and I phoned John using Skype and asked him to start the computer up to do a Skype video call.  After a few minutes he came on the air and he got to meet my host family, including Chocolat, the dog.  John couldn’t introduce our cat as she was outside having her little evening wander.  It was nice to have a chat together and my hosts were very impressed with the convenience of it all.

After we hung up, we chatted about Australian wildlife, our house and a few other things and then it was time for the moment I’ve been dreading – packing my bags.  It turned out to be not too bad, but I’ll have to careful with my purchases in Kyoto, Hamamatsu and Osaka.

As the station is likely to be crowded tomorrow due to the start of Golden Week, we are leaving at 9.00 am to catch the 9.53 train.  I’m very grateful that we don’t have to rush off any earlier.  I’m looking forward to a little sleep in.

Modern Art

(For 25 April)

While everyone back home was having a break for ANZAC Day, here it was off to school as usual.  We had fun producing various photos (on our phones, laptops and cameras) and asking each other, “Who is the person wearing glasses and a green jumper” and “Who is the person wearing jeans and a grey jacket” etc.  This was great practice for various grammar structures and vocabulary.



With Sakurai Sensei

We were asked whether we’d like to present an Australian song at tomorrow’s graduation, so we’ve agreed to do “Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree” as a round.  I did suggest “I’ve Been Everywhere, Man” (I’ve been to Kanazawa Yamanaka Goshomachi Katamachi…) but for some reason I didn’t get any support from my fellow performers.

We all scattered in various directions after class and Ulla and I went to visit the 21^st Century Museum of Modern Art.  We caught the 200 yen ($2.00) Loop Bus, for which my feet were very grateful.  After yesterday’s non-stop drizzle, it was lovely to be sighseeing in the sunshine.  The Museum was great – I think that the pool was our favourite.

Kids having fun outside the Museum

 

Having fun in the Museum Pool

 

After that, Ulla wanted to see a quilt exhibition and I wasn’t too enthused, so I found us a table in Starbucks while she went off and did her thing.  I messed about on the Internet and did some people-watching and eavesdropping.  There was an American man having a coffee with a Japanese woman and he was trying to teach her some of the finer points of English.  They were discussing the concept of ‘to drop off’, as in “I dropped her off at the station”.  It’s not something that we usually stop to think about, but to ‘drop someone off at the station’ doesn’t really sound like a kind thing to do.  I think the poor lady had a vision of taking someone to the edge of the platform and dropping her off.  Language is a funny thing.

Sculpture near the station

Once Ulla came back and had her caffeine fix, we caught a bus to the station and visited the nice souvenir shop that she discovered previously.  I bought a nice pottery cup with a gold leaf design which will be a nice reminder of my time in Kanazawa.

 
Tomorrow after class and our ‘Graduation Ceremony’, during which we’ll dazzle the teachers and school staff with our amazing singing talents, we plan to visit the Samurai House, followed by returning to our Home Stay homes to fit 3 cubic metres of clothes, souvenirs and ‘stuff’ into 1 cubic metre spaces.  My Home Stay family have offered to ‘drop me off’ on Saturday as my bags are a bit heavier than they were two weeks ago.

Gold Leaf and Geisha House

(For 24 April)

This morning we learned how to make the right noises to show an interest in the conversation – the equivalent of our ‘I see’, ‘Uh huh’, ‘really?’, ‘OMG’, ‘you’re kidding’ etc., (yes, the Japanese really do say ‘Ah,so’), as well as how to talk about receiving a favour/having something done for you by someone else.

Applying Gold Leaf

The Gold Leaf Dunny

 

 

After lunch, Jasmine, Ulla and I set off for the Tea House District on foot.  It took us a while to find the right place, and a bit longer because we kept getting waylaid by souvenir shops.

Street in the Higashi Chaya District

We also went to the nearby Gold Leaf Museum and were shown the process of making gold leaf.  We were even given a little of it to eat!  The most impressive part was the gold leaf toilet. 

Eventually we found the Geisha House that we were heading for.  It is a very old, and very interesting building.  It’s well cared for and laid out as it would have been in its day.  We enjoyed our tour and took stacks of photos.

 

Inside the Geisha House

 

We then made our way to Uniqlo (clothes shop) for Ulla and Jasmine to buy more stuff to fill up their bags.  We parted company as Ulla and Jasmine had plans to visit a public bath with Jasmine’s host mother, so I took the bus back to the station.

On the bus home, I noticed how very short my strip of bus tickets is getting.  Not many bus trips left now.  Although I miss John and home, I’d love to stay a few months more!  [Sigh!]

Ninjas, sushi and beer

(For 23 April)

Garbage collection point.  There are several of these set up
throughout each neighbourhood on rubbish day, and residents
bring their garbage here and sort it into the appropriate containers 

Today we learnt all about how to express regrettable events, such as losing your ticket, falling down the stairs, missing the plane, dropping your mobile phone in the toilet, etc.  This lesson was just made for me, as, being basically clumsy, I found that I was quite familiar with many of the things that we talked about.  It didn’t mention my biggest problem (getting lost at the drop of a hat), but I’ve now got the basic structure to talk about this, too.

Can't think of a caption for this one!

 

After class, seven of us had lunch in the plaza near the station before hopping on a bus to go to the Ninja Temple.  I really enjoyed visiting the temple.  Unfortunately, the guided tour was only in Japanese, but we were given a booklet in English to follow as we toured the building.  The temple is a maze of cleverly designed trapdoors, hidden stairs and tunnels.  From the outside, it has the appearance of being only two storeys high, as it was built during a time when buildings higher than three storeys were prohibited, but it is actually a four storey building with seven layers inside.  I made sure I stayed close to the tour group to avoid spending the rest of my life in there trying to find my way out.  The ritual suicide chamber was a little disconcerting, but overall we enjoyed the tour very much.  I managed to bang my head, straight after being told to mind my head.   I’d like to pretend that I didn’t understand the instruction.

The Ninja Temple

We then wandered around the temple area and swooped on the nearby souvenir shop.  Among other things, I bought a couple of ‘Ninja Star’ fridge magnets.  I also found a nice chopsticks cover and a purse which is designed for medicine, but will serve nicely as a purse.

 

After that, we went up the ‘tea shop’ street, which was pleasant enough.  There is a bigger tea shop district which we’ll visit if time permits.  Ulla and I will do some more exploring after class tomorrow.

We made our way back to the language school where we sent emails etc., then Ulla and I went to the station.  While I bought my shinkansen ticket to get me from Kyoto to Hamamatsu, she found a very nice souvenir shop which we plan to revisit before we leave.

When I got home, I quickly put my washing in the machine before we went out to the Kanazawa equivalent of the Sushi Train.  The food was fantastic and I ate too much.  I also had a beer that was too big for me.  Any typos in today’s blog can be blamed on the Asahi Beer company.  (Pronounced ‘assa hee’).  Unlike the Sushi Train, where the staff count the number of coloured plates to work out the total cost, here they use a little electronic gadget which they swipe down the pile of plates.  Very high tech!  Sadly, it reminded me of the scanners at work.

After that it was the usual – bath and homework.  We have to do another speech on Thursday, so tonight I’m attempting to write what I’m going to talk about.  The days are now going so fast so we’re trying to make the most of every minute of our studies.  Enough prattling – homework awaits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look out Robin Hood!

(For 22 April)

Today’s class flashed past in no time and after a kombini lunch, we caught the bus to …umm…somewhere to go to see the Japanese Archery.  The bus ride was not as pleasant as it should have been, as we passed a motorbike accident along the way.  The rider looked to be in quite a bad way but he was being taken care of.  Once we got to the Archery building, we watched a group of ladies practising kendou and then the archery instructors gave us a demonstration of the technique, and then I was pleasantly surprised to discover that we were also participating.

Ladies practising kendou

Firstly we went through the moves (which are very slow and specific) and we practised getting into the correct stance by using an elastic band to stretch like the bow.  Once we’d been through that routine, we took it in turns to shoot an arrow at the targets.  While I won’t ever be a world champion, I really enjoyed the experience and wouldn’t mind doing archery as a hobby.  Maybe not Japanese Archery, as the bow is huge and it requires a lot of strength.  I’ll add archery to my ‘maybe in retirement’ list.

Showing off my style

 

Archery instructors with the Thai students
who shared the excursion with the Aussie group

The bus back to the main bus station was really packed as the school students were all on their way home, but that’s all a part of the Japanese experience too.

Ulla and I window-shopped for a while before going into Starbucks for our daily dose of chai latte and Internet.  I’ve been exchanging Facebook messages with my Japanese penfriend and I’m going to meet him in Hamamatsu after the course is finished.  I’m looking forward to catching up – even though I have to catch the shinkansen at about 7.00am on Sunday!  There is a big kite festival each year in Hamamatsu, and on Sunday the preparations will be underway, so I’m expecting to have an interesting day.

During dinner I made a bit of an effort to discuss today’s activities and my plans for tomorrow and on Sunday in Hamamatsu.  Most of the words are there, but stringing them together is still so tricky.

I finished the day with some revision to face another day of brain-stretching tomorrow.

Busman's holiday

(For 21 April)

I started off today with something I really needed – a sleep in.  The first week of the course has been great but very tiring.  I’m used to 2 hours a week of Japanese and now I’m having 3 formal hours a day, followed by the conversations in the shops, cafes and restaurants, followed by trying to have intelligent conversations when I get home.  Once I get to bed, I’m out like a light.

My home away from home

After breakfast, I did some cleaning and tidied up all of my papers and purchases that have accumulated over the past week and then did some revision of the week’s classes (in my clean and tidy bedroom!).

After lunch, we went to the library, which has a very unusual design.  All of the walls are covered in little round windows, so everything inside is well lit.  The most amazing thing for me was the beautiful quiet atmosphere, where people could browse, explore books with their children or study, without the loud, bad-mannered, inconsiderate behaviour that has become the norm in Australian libraries.  There are even a couple of soundproof rooms specifically set aside for using mobile phones.  The library here really is a haven (big sigh!).

The library of many windows

The man in the red shirt is in
one of the mobile phone rooms

On the way home, I couldn’t stop yawning (that’s what a peaceful library will do to you!), so when I got home, I had a hiru-ne (afternoon nap).  Hiru-ne is my ‘word of the day’, and one that I intend to remember.

We had a lovely dinner, during which we discussed the comparison of lifespans in Japan and Australia, my next trip to Japan and my relatives in England.  The sentences might not have been quite grammatically correct, and I needed to refer to my iPhone dictionary occasionally (thanks again, Keith!), but we seemed to be having the same conversation.

After my much-needed soak in the bath, I had a quick Skype message chat with John and ploughed through a bit more revision so I can appear to be intelligent when I get to class tomorrow.

In the afternoon, we’re off to see Japanese Archery.  I’m assuming that we’re just watching, but we’ve been asked to take white socks, so we must be participating in something special.

All will be revealed next time!