STUDY ABROAD: WEEK 49 (Final)

AUGUST 3

This is is… the final stretch of the journey. I headed back to Nagoya this morning to join the others for lunch of our favorite Naan Curry, and also to grab round six of luggage. This time I had two full bags, my orange bag, and a large black luggage from Jason. He didn’t need it to go home, because he had sent most of his things home in boxes. Thankfully, I was able to make the trip with Takahiro’s help. Just one more trip and it should be done. To think, if I had asked a friend with a car to help, it may have only been one trip…

AUGUST 4

With the bulk of my property now at my new apartment, it was time to properly unpack and give some sense of order to the piles that spot my living room floor. It took my all day, but for having no furniture, it doesn’t look too bad. Still no fridge, washing machine, futon, shelf or anything, but I plan to buy those after I come back from America. Four more days! Crazy! I wish the others didn’t have to go home, but at least I know I will be back. I am looking forward to seeing my family, some friends, and to eating all of the things that I haven’t had the chance to eat in this past year. But, even so, I don’t want to go. If there was a way to bring all those things to me, then it would be a perfect world.

AUGUST 5

I went back to Nagoya, once again. This time it was primarily to help the other students with their final room checks. We stored their luggages in my room and went to eat at Naan Curry for the last time together. After that, it was already the evening so we hung out for a while before they decided to sleep. They were all heading to the airport early, so the group split and I gave up my floor and bed to them. In the meantime, I went to dance in the Naka District for what I knew would be the last chance I could do so for some time.

Later, when I returned, I found myself locked out of my room until I had to call on the intercom from the first floor. This was our last night together, sleeping with my newfound family, before saying farewell.

AUGUST 6

In the end, I didn’t go to the airport with everyone. I woke up, hugged them all good-bye and walked them to the station, but that was all I could have done. Even if I had gone, I couldn’t have stayed until the last person left because I had one last day of training today. Maybe it was best no to over-dramatize our farewell. I will see them again, maybe in Japan, maybe in Hawaii, or France. This is just the end to another chapter.

AUGUST 7

Yesterday I took the last round of luggage down to Okazaki, so this morning I returned to an empty room for my final check. There was no problem, as expected. I paid for the water and electric bill, turned in my keys and ID, and suddenly I was homeless in Nagoya. Homeless, but not friendless. There was still half a dozen of the Chinese and Taiwanese students remaining for the next 6 months. We ate lunch together at SUSHI-RO, and then there nothing else to do but return to Okazaki and start my own preparations to return home.

AUGUST 8

In a few hours, I’ll be on a plane back to the States. It’s all over, the study abroad, my adventure in Nagoya. When I come back, it will the beginning of a new life, a whole new adventure to look forward to. The best way for me to show appreciation for this experience is not to look back with want, but to march on with hope and purpose. Hope that I can see my international family again, and soon, and with all the intention of making that happen. I have been training for a few months now, and I can look towards my job with confidence. I’m not simply teaching English to stay in Japan, but I want to teach. I want to share my experiences with others, and encourage them the same way that my teachers and professors have encouraged me. I have something to give now, a purpose.

Until next time...

STUDY ABROAD: WEEK 45* Mt. Fuji

JULY 12

Our trip to Mt. Fuji begins early this Saturday morning. Our bus wasn’t scheduled to leave until a quarter to seven, but I was up well before six repacking my bag. I had finally decided which clothes would be necessary for the excursion. If it was hot going up the mountain, light and breathable clothing was best, but on the other hand, the peak of the mountain would undoubtedly be cold.

I started off in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, lax enough for the bus ride, and also good for temperate weathers. In my bag I had my under clothes, for when things got colder, a 2-liter bag of water, and a couple snack bars. This was my white bag’s last journey, and it became very full once I put in my wind breaker jacket, gloves and knit hat. I doubled checked on my money and my ticket and I was out the door just after 6am to wait for the others in front of the subway station. As I waited, I checked my messages for any last minute notifications. It was good I did, because one of the girls asked me to bring an extra roll of toilet paper, just in case. It was almost time for us to meet, but I rushed back to my room and grabbed the toilet paper anyway.

Then it was 6:15am, we started to walk towards the station vigorously, but slightly hungry from not eating breakfast. In due course, we stopped at a convenience store just outside the station to grab a few last minute things. I figured a bag of granola would be a good compliment to my supplies. However, at the time, I was fasting, and I still intended to fast as long as I physically could. But if the climb became difficult, I had supplies on hand to save me.

(Gateway Fujiyama, Kawaguchiko Station)

Four hours on the bus later, we arrived at Kawaguchiko, but just the first stop on our trip. From there, we took another hour long bus up to the 5^th station. The 5^th Station is more of a tourist spot than anything. It’s the beginning or end for many people who chose to visit Mt. Fuji. For us, it was just the beginning of our hike, though it was halfway up the mountain. We stopped to go to the last free bathroom before starting our climb. It seemed to be that any bathroom along the route would cost a donation of 200 yen. That was the only option, however, as the trails were clearly marked and there was no bushes for one to escape into. I took the chance to throw on my long under pants, since I expected I would not have the chance to before we reached the 8th station. The 8th station would be our lodgings for the day, or rather for the end of the day, and only for a few hours as we prepared to make the final climb.

(Our arrival at the 5^th station and the view of Mt. Fuji from the last free toilet.)

Refreshed and ready to take on Japan’s most famous landmark, we approached the map at the trail head. The trail we were looking for was marked in blue, and that trail was on the other side of the mountain. We started off on the completely wrong side of the mountain. With no other choice, we checked out the visitor center for information as to whether there was a way to reach the other side of the mountain. We could go by bus, but that would cost us a couple hours and almost twenty dollars. The only other option we had was to change our lodging reservation. The clerks solved the matter for us immediately, and THEN we were off to tackle the mountain.

The trail started off at a decline, which didn’t make sense if we were climbing a mountain, but eventually it started to gradually incline. Horses occasionally passed us on the trail as they escorted their riders from the 5th to the 6th station. When we started our journey, we were muddled amongst a large group of people. Several young men started to pass us on the left, and I overheard one say to his friend, ‘Hey, do you speak English?’

I couldn’t help but throw in my own comment to their conversation, ‘Japanese is fine, too.’ That’s how we made our first acquaintances of the day. We took a picture with them en route, but their pace eventually put them farther ahead of us, into the woods.

The trail through the last bits of wood the trail was nice solid Earth, put after that it became something more like gravel. The trail began to wind in a gradually inclining zigzag. I tried to slow my pace and stay with our little group, but as my legs warmed up, so did my pace. I would end up walking ahead, and then waiting at the next turn, or the one after that. I was in the zone, just me and the mountain. I would meet with the group of young men, pass them and then they would in turn pass me by again as I waited for the girl’s to come in sight. First it was ten minutes, then fifteen. After we passed the 7th station together I told them that I would meet them at our lodgings if I went too far ahead. That was when the trail became fun.

The gravel paths were a toll on my legs, but the other kind of path was considerably more fun. Large rocks like a huge uneven staircase, roped off on either side to bar against one’s wandering. I felt the strongest at those points, strong and fast and free. It was on my way up one of these parts in the trail that I passed a middle-aged woman who seemed to be having some troubles breathing. I slowed my pace and watched her, and then I finally asked, ‘Are you all right?’ She stopped for a moment to catch her breath and said she was. I watched her a little longer as she rested, and once she finally pushed forward, then I too continued on my path. After that, I ran into the group of young men again as they had stopped to rest near one of the stations. We had a few moments of ‘international relations’ and then I started on the next leg of the trail.

(3.8 kilometers from the summit of Mt. Fuji.)

At a quarter to 6, I reached our mountain hut. It wasn’t as prehistoric as a hut sounds, but a nice suitable lodging. They even sold snacks and ramen for three times the usual price. Now all I had to do was wait for the others, so I sat on the bench across from the entrance. Time passed, strangers passed, the young men from Kyoto University passed, and I waited. Then, a woman sat next to me, and it was the same woman that I had encountered on the trail. She seemed to be really tired, drained from the climb. She told me it was her first time climbing Mt. Fuji, even though she had lived in the nearby town all her life. When I asked her about her lodgings, she told me that it was up near the 9th station. I was shocked. That would take at least another hour, if not longer at her pace. I was worried whether or not she could make it, but she insisted she was fine and soon got up to hit the trail again.

(The trail was consistently packed with hikers.)

By now, I had been sitting in front of the lodging for some time. The greeter took notice and approached me, asking about the reservation. It was well past six, but the others had still not arrived. He told me I could wait inside for them, but I chose to stay outside and wait. It could have been any minute. In fact, it wasn’t until almost 6:30pm that they arrived. You could see the wear in their faces as the crested the last of the stairs to the station platform. I was only cold from sitting still.

We finally regrouped and entered the hut, paid our lodging fee (about $100) and waited to be served dinner. I could understand why many people would camp, or simply time their climb so that they wouldn’t have to stop for a few hours. It was good that we had the chance to stop. The girls were tired, and we were all hungry, and a bit cold. Though we weren’t the last to arrive, we somehow ended up being the last to receive dinner, Japanese curry. They also provided us with a bag of breakfast, also known as two rolls and some jam. The sleeping arrangements were set in large rooms lined with group bunks and sleeping bags. It wasn’t much for the price, but I suppose any sort of shelter is a commodity up on top of a mountain. We lied down to sleep sometime past seven, but I hardly slept a wink. I couldn’t sleep with the other people in the room snoring, the lights outside blinking, and the voices of various visitors as they passed the hut. I did the only sensible thing, and that was to get out of bed.

First, I visited the bathroom, donated my 200 yen and sat in the main room for a bit. There, one of the women who ran the hut, was greeting people who came by for wood burnings. Each station provided its own brand to mark one’s journey as they pursued the summit. Joy was carrying a stick of her own. I understand it was a great souvenir, but I found it was an obstacle when climbing. I talked with the woman briefly, and then sat in the warm room with another guest who was having altitude sickness. I was surprised that I felt perfectly fine at all. So I sat there, and waited, counting off the time until it made sense to dress for the weather again and wake up the crew. We planned to leave before all the other groups clogged up the trail, which meant at 11:30pm it was time for round two.

(The great full moon watched over our last leg of the journey.)

JULY 13

Our second round up the mountain started out in the same fashion as the first, with a slow and gradual trail of gravel. I kept catching myself ahead of the group, but I would wait. There was no question that I could reach the summit, but I was here to do it with my best friends. I paired myself up with Rachael, who trooped onward despite the then oxygen levels. That’s why we had cans of oxygen with us. Joy also had something of a cold, so she used the cans as well.

I sent Joy and Aurianne on ahead, as Rachael and I brought up the rear. Maybe we had to rest at every turn of the trail, but we never stopped. We gave light to the couple that decided to climb without flashlights, and I met another couple from Australia. Then, as we were nearing the peak, we passed a small crew of emergency men. They were surrounding a woman who had collapsed on the trail from tiredness; it was the same woman who I talked to only a few hours before. I hung back as Rachael went on, eavesdropping on their conversation, she seemed all right, but I didn’t ask until one of the men proceeded up the trail. He said she was all right, but they were going to have someone help her to the nearest station and then probably take her down to the 5th station. I felt empathy for her because she tried so hard, but also there was a faint sense of disbelief that the one woman I talked to would be that woman.

There had been many once in a lifetime encounters during our climb. Now, all that lied before us was the final climb to the gates of the mountain shrine. Joy and Aurianne would be waiting for us. We climbed in the deepest dark of the night, guided only by our little lamps and a trail occasionally lit with torches, two amongst many, from all over the world. We met with the summit at half past three in the morning, a good hour before sunrise. Joy and Aurianne were huddled together against the cold air, facing the east horizon. Rachael quickly settled down with them. There was nothing to do, but wait. I couldn’t sit still, so I went off in search for a bathroom to no avail. After that I stayed standing so I could move around and stay warm in some way. We should have brought some more aids against the wind.

Dawn started to peek over the horizon, causing everyone to rise from their seats to take pictures. We took our pictures, too, as daylight filled the air. There I was, July 13th, the dawn of my own birthday, atop one of the world’s wonders. It was wonderful.

(We reached the summit! I couldn’t have done it without these amazing women. I can’t thank them enough for sharing this experience with me.)

Wonderful until the cold started to bite at us again. We saw what was needed to be seen, and it was time to start our descent. Almost the entire descent was more difficult than the ascent, in my opinion. Whether that was because I had not gotten any sleep, and the very little rest that I did receive over the past day hardly gave my legs a chance to recover, or if it was just navigating down the loose gravel for hours… we also needed to go to the bathroom. The entire way down that’s all we were thinking of. Unfortunately, there was no place to go until we reached the 7th station. After that, it was still hard on our legs, but we bore with it until we returned to the 5th station.

(The view as we descended the mountain at first light was breathtaking.)

We had just enough energy to look at the souvenir stores and grab some snacks before we boarded the bus back to Kawaguchiko. I had successfully fasted on my way up and down the mountain, but once the trial ended, I needed something to keep me awake and functioning. It was my birthday, so until our bus back to Nagoya came back we loitered around the station, ate lunch and a few sweets from the convenient store. For the first time, I was knocked out on the bus, all the way back to Nagoya. The walk back to our apartment was painful, and we were still half-asleep; it was the complete opposite of our departure. We will sleep well tonight.

STUDY ABROAD: WEEK 45

JULY 6

It’s been too long since I have danced at Shirakawa Park. The weather today was a bit iffy, but it started out nice and sunny. Five of us were practicing, doing our own thing when I noticed someone watching in the corner of my eye. We made eye-contact and he spoke to me, ‘Do you speak English?’

Had he not asked this in a perfect American accent, I would have assumed he was Japanese. On the contrary, he was actually from Michigan! On top of that, he was a break dancer, but he was in Japan on a three-week internship as an engineer. Of all the people!

At the time he had just finished touring the science museum, so he happened to notice us as he passed by. He wasn’t meeting his friend until later that evening, so we offered him the chance to rest, or to join us if he’d like. It had been ‘months’ since he’s practiced, but he jumped right into it, despite the light rain that started to fall. Eventually, we moved our group to the basketball court, which was covered by the overpass and practiced there. As the first English-speaking break dancer I have met in the past year, I eagerly took his well-pointed advice. Now I’m trying to figure out how to do thread while I’m in a shoulder freeze. Thanks, Albert. Be seeing you again I hope.

JULY 7

I started packing and preparing for the move. What I really mean is that I’ve put away all my winter things nicely, and I have filled up my large orange luggage with things I am not using now, but will need later. It never hurts to start early. Then, evening practice in the Naka District.

JULY 8

After weeks of waiting, my group has finally been able to present our survey to the class. All the themes had a relation to school, and ours was about the commute. Almost a month ago we started our surveys by asking a few volunteer students who came to our class basic questions in regards to our research. We didn’t have to actually create another survey on our own accord, but since we only had two questions to investigate, and already eight people’s answers, we decided it was an opportune time.

I was in charge of the survey, but we divided the other research and presentation creation amongst the three of us. Not only were we to present on Japan’s school commute, but our home countries as well. As far as information goes, we filled our twenty minutes greatly, and that was before playing the video material. I wish our member had shown us the video beforehand, rather than playing the five minutes’ worth during the real presentation as we were on the clock. There were no questions to be asked, which may or may not have been a good thing. I think people just wanted to go to their next class. There will probably be a question session at the beginning of class next week.

JULY 9

It’s the second to last week of the semester, which means today was the second to last Business Japanese class we will have. Next week also happens to be the final exam, which will be similar to the midterm where we had to do role-plays. However, we also have to write a thank you speech, and practice new role plays such as telephone conversations ad lib. I hope I don’t get picked for the telephone conversation!

JULY 10

Our morning started out with a guidance meeting for the students who are going to return to their home countries soon. Granted, some of us are ready to go home, but I’m not. We spent about an hour or so being talked about canceling our Internet contracts, preparing for water and electric bills, returning our bikes to the university, cleaning up our rooms, and, of course, final paperwork. My only comfort was that if anything happened, I would still be around later to deal with it. But the harsh truth was very clear: in less than a month I would be saying good-bye to some of the most important people in my life, my second family.

Like I said it was depressing, but we couldn’t wallow in it. We still had more immediate preparations to make. The day after tomorrow four of us, Joy, Rachael, Aurianne and I were heading to Mt. Fuji. Joy and I rode our bikes to Donki for some last minute preparations, in particular headlamps. We intended to climb the mountain over the course of the day and into the night so that we could see the sunrise. Then, we hurried home to work on our final presentations for culture class tomorrow. Once again, we can present on anything we want, and I was still undecided until yesterday.

JULY 11

(I woke up just in time for the clouds to give way to the dawn.)

My second to last presentation topic of the semester, of my undergraduate career was this: Okami. Okami has several meanings when translated, all which depend on its kanji. The basis for my presentation was a Capcom video game that came out a few years back when I was in high school. In this game you played as Amaterasu, a god or okami, who comes down to Japan to save the people from the dark ages as a wolf, also okami, and your powers are used by drawing symbols on paper, the final kami. The main reason I chose this as my final subject was because this game opened my eyes to Japanese folklore. Every character, every story within the story has a link to a Japanese folktale. I’m a fan of folklore, and another big theme that I enjoy is past meets present. This game does exactly that, as it is a modern tool depicting old stories. I highly recommend it.

That said, I kind of tripped through the presentation itself. Maybe that was karma, or some foul curse that said any video I planned to use in my culture presentation would betray me. In this case, the voice over of the video was faster than I could read, but it wasn’t a real, clear language. So I constantly had to pause, read, and play the video again. It made my presentation much longer than the intended ten minutes.

STUDY ABROAD: WEEK 44

JUNE 29

This morning I went to Okazaki to sign the finalization of my apartment contract. The events have finally settled in, and I will be moving in a few weeks. While I was in Okazaki, I decided to walk to the mall and also check out the nearby Donki, where I bought some sportswear.

By the way, Ramadan is supposed to be starting soon, but I’ve been hearing different things about the starting day. Some are saying it’s tomorrow, and others are saying it’s Tuesday. I’m not sure, so I decided to start fasting from today. As long as this summer isn’t too humid, I think I won’t have a problem.

JUNE 30

I haven’t really had a chance to relax and do nothing the past couple weeks, and since I was out all day yesterday, that’s exactly what I did today after class. I sent in my book stuff to be printed; now it’s just time to wait until the proof copy is delivered.

JULY 1 - JULY 2

Today I decided to kick back a bit more. Joy and the others have decided to go climb Mt. Fuji on July 12th and 13th. That just so happens to be my birthday week. I couldn’t have planned a better way to spend my birthday than with them. As for climbing the mountain, if we can get all the way to the top it will be a great feat. I have a few doubts, since I’ve never done it before, but as far as fitness goes I think I can make the climb. I may be slow, but I will get to the top if that’s where we are going.

JULY 3

Today is all about BPM. They’re having another party down in Toyohashi tonight, which I almost missed out on. Initially the date was set for next Thursday, but it was suddenly changed to today. It’s probably going to go all night again, but I’m looking forward to seeing if any of the graduated students show up. This may also be the last time I can party with them as a student, so I have to make the most of it! Toyohashi here I come!

JULY 4

As expected, the party lasted all night. It wasn’t as lively as some of the other previous parties, and by that I mean a lot more people slept through the night. I considered napping once or twice myself, but I have a hard time doing so in public places. Instead I danced most of the night, and when morning came, this time I was showered and ready to start my day.

I actually had quite a Friday planned. After class, where presentations on Japanese instruments continued, I went to karaoke with Taiga and Rachael for the afternoon three-hour special. We needed to figure out what songs we can sing together, so I went for practice, she just went to be awesome.

Then, following an enriching karaoke experience, I met with Takahiro at the station. We headed down to Osu on the subway in search for yukatas, preferably cheap ones. Normally, a new, well-made yukata might go for a couple hundred dollars or so. If at all possible, I hoped to get the whole set: yukata, obi, and geta (wooden shoes) for less than a hundred. They had pre-made packs in Aeon for about one-hundred dollars; that was my back-up plan.

Thankfully, I didn’t need to go to Aeon after all. The first store we went into had two floors, with used yukatas and kimonos on the second floor. We checked the second floor first because some were as cheap as 500 yen! Unfortunately, we could find little that would suit my height, or that was the right material/color. We were pretty set on some sort of blue as the main color. Two middle-aged women graciously gave us advice on where to look for the right styles for summer, and they even went as far as to lead us, well me, around the store to try on different styles. They didn’t work there, they were customers like us, though clearly more experienced.

When the second floor proved to be insightful, but not plentiful, we headed down to the first floor. I expected prices to be through the roof, but there was actually yukata between 3000 and 5000 yen. There was only one blue one that would fit my height, I was worried if it would fit the girth of my hips, when suddenly another middle-aged woman came out of nowhere and started to properly dress me in the yukata. We had a red obi picked out, which she quickly wrapped around me and confirmed the sizes would fit. Thank you, random lady, for saving us the guess work. All I had to do was choose a pair of geta, which for my size was even harder to find, but there was a few extra-large pairs. In any case, they would have been tight because they were new. All that for about 7200 yen, perfect!

Following our shopping venture, Takahiro and I trudged back to Nagoya station so we could go to English Cafe Nite. There happened to be a large group visiting from California, which at least doubled the number of English speakers in the room. We played a game similar to telephone, only with gestures instead of speaking the phrases. Some of the phrases we had to act out were impossible to decipher: my group’s phrase was becoming a ghost, but it ended up looking like the rain came and something sprouted. Regardless, we had a great time, and I earned the right to a good night sleep. Good night!

JULY 5

Mark’s having a party tonight in his room. For the first time it’s not in my or Rachael’s room, so we’re grateful. It went well, as most parties do. Nobody came to hush us, though I thought sometimes we got a bit loud. Then, out of nowhere, Mark’s neighbor calls for his attention on the balcony. Next thing we know, he’s sitting in the room with us, talking about games. We thought he was going to tell us to be quiet, but he just came over to join the party. In fact, this was the same guy that I had talked to WAY back in September when there was a fire in the building across the street. Who knew he was Mark’s neighbor?

STUDY ABROAD: WEEK 43

JUNE 22

I am still in shock.

This morning Akane and I went back to the apartment dealer. There were three out of five places that we could go see today, and the first one just so happened to be my first pick as well. As soon as I stepped in I knew it was the place. I didn’t really want to see the other places, but I didn’t want to make an impulsive decision, so we did check out the other two places. In comparison, they seemed small, unappealing, but maybe that was because I had already made my decision.

When we headed back to the dealer, and I mentioned that I really liked the first place. I thought that would mean, all right come back again next week and we’ll draw up the contract. No, they had the paperwork ready. I knew it was the right place, so now or later it didn’t really matter, right? I didn’t want someone else to take it. We worked through the paper and they printed out the initial bill for me. It wasn’t just rent, but also a gratuity fee, insurance, neighborhood fee. In the end, it came to about 2000 dollars. I had to pay it this week. Also, I had to move into the new place within a month of signing the contract. July 19th it is.

It felt like I was doing the right thing, but I couldn’t help wondering if I had acted impulsively. Was I supposed to inform the university first? Or, was I missing some vital piece of information? It all seemed to go too smoothly.

We ate at SUSHI-RO after that, and I was still in shock.

Then I returned to Nagoya in the late afternoon, only to run into Jordan outside Nagoya Station. His plans to meet someone had fallen through and he was just on his way home. Turns out, he hadn’t eaten at the time so I took him to the nearby udon place for some venting time for the both of us.

So excited! And terrified! Am I really doing this all on my own?

JUNE 23

The last International Cafe… so sad. I will miss all the regular faces, and the bi-weekly excuse to talk about nothing in particular. Takahiro and Yuto also showed up today to hang out. Apparently, they needed a picture of me for the interview, so Yuto snapped one with his phone. I wish he had told me about it sooner because I was not at all dressed for a photo today.

JUNE 24

I did my duty and paid for the apartment today. So much money gone, and once again the bank account is starved. The JASSO money should be coming in soon though. I got to save up because it looks like we’ll be traveling next month: Disneyland, Universal Studios, who knows! It’s going to be an adventure. I’m pretty sure we are going to USJ because the new Harry Potter attraction will open around the 17th. I can’t wait to go; I’ve never been to a Universal Studio or Disneyland before.

JUNE 25

No time to work on manga today, only class and training. I’m in the last stages though; I think I can finish up the pages in a couple more days!

JUNE 26

Joy joined me to play futsal again. We always have too much fun playing against each other. Also, now that I know a few more of the members, we can actually interact with them as other matches are going on. Speaking a few sentences in English is fairly popular, but the conversation always reverts back to Japanese. Our conversations aren’t about much, but we have a great time playing futsal.

After futsal I went straight to dance practice for a few hours. Now I am home and showered. Tonight I’m going to try and get some more pages done. I have all night to do it since there’s no class tomorrow. Less than one chapter to go!

JUNE 27

It’s done! It’s done!

The pages are all complete! I finished the last details at 6pm, just in time for me to go to Open Mic Nite at the Heart n’ Soul Cafe. I even started on the cover, so all I have to do is check out the pages and prepare them for printing, finally.

Going to Open Mic became my initial celebration. Rachael and a couple other students also came to the event this time. Takahiro was there working as the MC, and he somehow managed to convince Rachael to perform next month. On one condition: that I perform with her. I enjoy karaoke, not singing on a stage. I can’t even sing that well. But, if it’s for Rachael, I’ll brave that fire. Somehow, someway, we’ll pull a performance together.

JUNE 28

Today’s culture experience was all about traditional Japanese instruments and yukata. As one of the first to arrive, I had the chance to watch our teachers for the day wander into the university all dressed up properly in yukatas. As soon as our class officially started, at 9am, we were dressed in various yukatas. They weren’t so much separated by size as they were by height, meaning there was few for me two choose from. This time, as one of the older women helped me put the yukata on and set the obi I tried to pay close attention. I would be buying my own yukata for the upcoming fireworks festivals, so I had to figure out how to wear it properly on my own.

Once everyone was dressed in their yukatas and the pictures were taken, we were split into two groups. My group was the first to experience the instruments, while the other group was taught obondori, a festival dance that takes place to celebrate obon, a festival based on the Buddhist custom of honoring one’s ancestors. In the instrument room they had set up there was flutes, shamisen, and small taiko drums. I tried the flute first, but in the allotted time I could hardly get a note through. Rachael and Joy on the other hand had experience playing wind instruments, so it came more naturally to them. Next I was sent to the small drums, which started out all right until I started going off rhythm. As for the techniques of hitting and holding the drum itself, I found that I was quite capable. Last was the shamisen, the instrument I had least faith that I could play, but it turned out to be the most fun. My fingers tend to move slowly so I thought that strumming the strings would be harder for me. To my surprise, the challenge of plucking the notes was more fun that I thought. I would have loved to have more time learning it, but our time quickly came to an end.

We switched rooms with the other group and danced for an hour in our yukatas. Dancing was nearly mindless for me, especially since the steps in and of themselves are relatively simply and they repeat for the entire song. At this point, a few people were complaining about the tightness of their yukatas as well, but I felt no such discomfort. I’m looking forward to finding my own yukata, but hopefully it’s not too expensive.

I planned a dinner get-together with the Hawaiian students and a few of the Japanese students that we have known since last year. It had been too long since we had eaten out together, outside of the curry house, so this time we went to yakiniku. Taigen recommended the place, which we found to be cheap and conveniently near the station.

STUDY ABROAD: WEEK 42

JUNE 15

Akane and I headed to the apartment dealers this morning. I didn’t expect too much when we arrived because the place looked like a smaller dealer, unlike the big names in the business: Minimini, Suumo, etc. Thankfully, I was wrong.

It was only our first meeting, but they were able to pull out five locations within twenty minutes of the station that were under 400 a month. Not only that, but none of the locations minded whether or not I was a foreigner. I think that part of that reason was because I went to the dealer in person and they could see for themselves what sort of level my Japanese was at. At least, when he spoke on the phone with the owners, that fact came up each time. Each of the places he showed me fits my preferences, so it’s hard to pick on above the other. I do have a favorite that I’ve seen during my Internet searches as well. Next week, we’ll be back to check out the places in person.

With business taken care of, Akane and I biked over to Aeon Mall. We were basically killing time until twilight, when we were going to meet with Jon and a couple of Akane’s friends to go see the fireflies. The way she talked about them, it made me think that they were a rare sight to see; little floating magical orbs. Going to see the fireflies seemed to be one of the past-times at this time of year, so I anticipated the event.

We drove up into the mountains on the curviest road I have ever been on in my life. It was only two-lanes, so we had to be careful around each corner. Deep out in the country, only surrounded by fields and then towering trees. I was enjoying the scenery along the winding ride when suddenly we were told to stop outside of a tunnel and park along the side of the road. There was only other car in the area, so we thought it was a bit fishy. But, we all got out of the car and walked through the tunnel to the other side. Then it quickly became apparent as to why we had to park so suddenly. Both sides of the road were already lined with cars of other people who had come to see the fireflies. The area was particularly popular because of the clean water in the river which ran next to the mountain’s forests.

These fireflies that were the call of everyone’s attention are the same ‘lightning bugs’ that fill our backyards every summer in Toledo. Jon and I had to laugh because this was a normal sight for us. Though, I suppose, if they only gather in these secluded areas, then it would be a rare sight for the average Japanese citizen.

There was a small trail leading down from the road, past an elementary school, down to the riverside and then back up to the road. It did not take long to walk the entire trail, so soon we were heading back to the car. We ended up in the middle of the pack, meaning that a whole new group of go-seers had arrived after us, and some still arriving. As for us, we had only snacked on some mochi while we were there so we went off to find food. At that time of night, the only place open was Denny’s. I had pancakes for dinner.

JUNE 16

…Manga…

JUNE 17

After dance practice I headed to the City Pal apartments to join the Cho-Ko party. This month both Cho, one of the exchange students, and Natsuko, the Japanese student who is assisting with our culture class, have birthdays, so they created a party together. Many of the members still left at the party were the new Chinese exchange students, so afterward when we went to karaoke many of the songs were in Chinese. We stayed until morning, so once again I let two of the girls stay in my room overnight.

JUNE 18

…Training…and it’s raining…

(View from the JR train from Nagoya to Gamagori as it rains.)

(My first attempt to explain the hard and soft ‘th’ sounds.)

JUNE 19

…Manga…Dance…

JUNE 20

Game night, we meet once again!

We started out playing Blocks, but as the members at our table grew, Rafael suggested that we play Phase 10. The makers of UNO know how to make great card games. As the name suggests, there are 10 Phases of the game, but some of us only reached the third Phase before time ran out. I’m looking forward to playing it again next month. Though, sadly it will be our last Game Night together… June is going by too quickly!!

Once again, I went to dance in Naka District with the guys. I happened to see a few more familiar faces, including that of Pepsiman. The Pepsiman I knew was always wearing short shorts, and he danced very feverishly. Today, he wasn’t dancing, and seemed a lot calmer than usual. I greeted him and we ended up talking; it turns out that he hasn’t practiced dance recently, he was frustrated with it. In some ways I understood him because I was having troubles with dance recently as well. In his case, he had been so competitively recently that dance wasn’t fun anymore, he needed to rethink it. I, on the other hand, need to up my ante and challenge myself more.

There was something self-assuring about hearing that he, as well as other dancers, have had their hard times as well. It seems to be an obvious fact, but to hear it from their own mouths really hits home. It’s hard now, but soon, very soon I’ll be free to dance and improve again. If I think about it, when I started drawing, I made a good jump my first year, and then it was a consistent slow but steady progress. I didn’t notice it because I was just enjoying myself; I wasn’t comparing my skills to others as much. Then I made a few more jumps, and here I am. If I put my mind to it, I can create anything. I think, once this project of mine is completed, I can do that again.

JUNE 21

We had a make-up class today, in place for the survey class we missed at the beginning of the semester. What really happened is we watched Mark and Aurianne’s final presentation for the class. They are in the new B class, so we usually don’t get to see each other’s presentations. However, for these final presentations, the teacher wants us all to present together, so from next week on our class times will overlap.

After class I went to training and then karaoke again with Rachael and a few others. How can I say no when our time together seems so short?