STUDY ABROAD: WEEK 18

DECEMBER 29

Slept in, did laundry, cleaned my room, you know, the usual time-killing and relatively non-productive things that people do when they are waiting to go somewhere.

My plans didn’t start until the evening. I met Akane and Jon down in Okazaki, then we back-tracked to Shin Anjo to eat Indian curry with two of Jon’s friends, Jessica and Zi. When I first met Jessica she greeted me with such energy and forwardness that I was a little taken aback. I’m not going to lie; the thought that ran in my head was ‘Whoa, she sure is American.’ I’m American, too, but it’s been so long since I’ve met someone as bold in their introduction. Zi was more of the subdued British type, and he is also a Muslim. Only the second one I have met so far and shared a meal with in Japan.

The curry was of course delicious. There was no all-you-can-eat naan deal included with the dinner set, so I only ate the one piece. After curry, we joined Jessica at her favorite little bar. It was expensive, but that was expected of a high class bar. The chef that made the food there was amazing. Even a simple chicken wing was succulent, and the adzuki bean dessert was mouthwatering.

During my talk with Jessica, I came to realize that I am a duck. More appropriately, I am a duckling, just hatched, and still fresh and new to this world. There’s a lot I haven’t experienced, and I should continue to be open, rather than ignorant, in all factors of life.

DECEMBER 30

Last night I stayed over at Akane’s house again. This time it was because we were going to make mocha, a Japanese rice cake! Making mochi before the New Year is one of the Japanese traditions. From the early morning, rice is hammered in a large bowl until it becomes like stretchy, chewy dough that is used in many desserts. My favorite of which is of course daifuku, which is mochi wrapped around adzuki beans.

At the New Year party last year, back in Toledo, I did have a chance to hammer mochi. Today, I honestly expected to take more part in the making, but the house was soon full of Akane’s relatives. The men took turns amongst themselves to hammer the mochi, but we all got a few good swings in. After every batch of mochi was made we would roll it out in the kitchen over some rice flour and make up dough balls. During this whole time we were all also fed mochi with kinako (roasted soybean flour) and adzuki, and also mochi with soy sauce and wrapped in nori, dried seaweed. Jon, Jessica and I were the only foreigners there, so we had to try every new snack they brought out. By the time dinner rolled around we were all stuffed and ready for a nap.

Though, it wasn’t a party, the mochi gathering was a great get together for the family. It was only one part of their extended family, which is what I would consider a family visit, but everyone was really jolly and relaxed. This was the calm, laid-back holiday spirit that was lacking in the hustle and bustle of the big city. Even though I’ve only visited Okazaki a few times, it’s really growing on me, more so than Toyohashi. They are very near in size, and they both are somewhere between a small city and a countryside. I would have liked to spend more time there and relax, but I had to come back to Nagoya. Tomorrow it’s off to Toyohashi~

DECEMBER 31

It felt so great to sleep in today. I wanted to stay home and be lazy all day, but like I said, it’s off to Toyohashi. Even though it would take twice as long, I decided to ride the local train. It was almost an hour and a half long trip, but it was nice to sit there and stare out the window, just listening to music and daydreaming.

I arrived in Toyohashi in the late afternoon. Ai, who I went to the Big Bang Concert with, and her father picked me up at the station and drove me to their home. The house was bigger than I expected; not only that, but it was spotless. I hardly wanted to touch or do anything because I didn’t want to disturb the order. As it were, I was going to spend the New Year’s with them, so I needed to get comfortable. They were more than warm and welcoming. Once the dog got used to me, and I figured out my way around the house I was able to settle down too.

During and after dinner we watched Downtown’s “No Laughing: Earth Defenders” Special program. It was the first time I’ve even seen it on TV as it was broadcast. The program itself was a good 6 hours long, including commercials. As it was ending, the program was interrupted for the New Year countdown. We couldn’t hear the local temple from our house, but at Buddhist Temples all across the country people were gathering for the final countdown. The priest would ring the bell 108 times to symbolize the 108 human sins and desires, and to literally ring in the New Year. It’s called joyanokane. Once the bell is rung the 108^th time, people celebrate and eat soba, buckwheat noodles.

It’s now the year of the Horse. I can’t wait to see what new things will happen this year; there are still so many things I have planned, and so many more unplanned things I hope to encounter.

Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu. Kotoshi mo yoroshiku.

(Horse sculpture at Inuyama Castle)

JANUARY 1

The year 2014 started out in the warmth of a fluffy futon. Had it been any other day, I would have laid there for hours. However, it was not just any other day, nor was it under my control. This New Year’s holiday isn’t simply a time to kick back. No, it’s a time to enjoy doing things with the family. With that, we were all up and out of the house by 9am to go on a little road-trip.

Our first stop was a small shrine a few blocks away. There the family, mostly the father, paid his respects and asked for help and guidance in the New Year. I couldn’t sit and wait in the car, so I followed the family around the shrine. The father also gave me some coins to donate. The Shrine housed many different gods for everything you can think of: health, wealth, school, work, children, parents… I tossed the coins into the donation box and made a little prayer myself. I prayed that this coming year would go well, and there would be no problems with school, or work, and also that it would be a peaceful year. It was a lot easier than making up another New Year resolution.

We also received fortune slips. There’s always a gauge of luck on the fortunes, and mine showed very little. I guess I’ll be making up my own luck this year. Those fortunes we tied onto a rack at the shrine and then left there; supposedly we can’t take them home or they have no meaning. But, it doesn’t say anything about taking pictures.

More or less, it means as long as I stay positive, good things will come my way. That conveniently matches my current attitude. The other ambiguous half refers to health, love, travel, money, etc.

After that, the real road trip began. In one hour we reached a rest area in Shizuoka Prefecture. There we had a light snack, and stretched our legs: it seems that Shizuoka is indeed a fan of eel. It reminded me of the woman I had met on the train a few months ago who was traveling to Shizuoka to try the squid.

(Eel-shaped éclairs and sweet buns that look like horses.)

We didn’t buy any eel there, just some crème puffs and coffee. Another hour later and we were finally nearing our destination. We could see Mt. Fuji from the car, and to the other side of us, the big blue ocean. The weather also happened to be perfectly clear. So far our luck was pretty good.

Our destination was not Mt. Fuji itself, but one of the many viewing points that surrounded it. There was a large lodge, with shops for souvenirs and restaurants. Just around the corner there was also a large open platform that looked out over the land. There we had a full-on view of Mt. Fuji, stony cold blue with its white crest of snow. We took pictures and watched as a small puff of cloud passed the mountain. A larger cloud followed that one, so we were lucky to arrive when we did and see the mountain in its glory… but it was really far away.

We ate udon for lunch at the cafeteria and then started our drive back to Toyohashi. The drive was actually longer because we made another stop at small old shrine in Toyokawa, near the family’s company’s old factory. The family owns a sweet company which makes all kinds of baked goods, like cookies and muffins. When I came to their house yesterday I brought some rusk as my omiyage, but their desserts are far superior. I didn’t know that I could buy them in the convenient stores, but from now on I will try to find them. They make a delicious almond cookie, which trumps a dry rusk any day.

Once we finally returned home, I offered to help prepare dinner. Turns out that one of the traditional foods that is eaten during the New Years that are prepared in boxes is called osechi. All the food was pretty much ready. My contributions were little more than ‘Take this out of the container and divide on the plates nicely’. I thought that gave me a little free rein to arrange the various foods in an artistic manner, but simple is always best.

JANUARY 2

Today was another early day. We weren’t traveling nearly as far as Shizuoka Prefecture, but it was a little drive back out to Toyokawa. This time, we were going to visit Toyokawa Inari. I was expecting another quick visit to the shrine to drop in some coins and pay our respects. Maybe that would have been the case on any other day, but it wasn’t going to happen today.

(Toyokawa Inari, outside the main shrine)

First, the shrine was packed. There was nearly no parking near the shrine, so we had to park a couple blocks away and walk through a park to reach the shrine grounds. Once we were there, the mass of people was apparent. Food stalls of all kinds lined the paths that led to the main shrine, selling everything from candy apples, to senbei (rice crackers), to chocolate bananas, yakisoba, churros, taiyaki and more. The line for the main shrine itself wasn’t even a line anymore, it was literally a wave of people that stretched far beyond the shrine steps and then wove around to various paths. Because of that, the family moved on to visit small shrines on the grounds.

(Hundreds of fox statues can be found throughout the shrine grounds.)

We spent the rest of our time their wandering through the various stands and little shops. Horses were a popular motif for the New Year. I used to collect horse models when I was younger, so it was a bit nostalgic for me to look at all the various horse crafts. If I had any use for them, I might have bought a couple pieces.

Lunch was a light meal in a small tea house, followed by some senbei and chocolate bananas. The father was on the hunt for some good custard-filled taiyaki, which we didn’t find until we were just about to exit the shrine grounds. The taiyaki was warm and sweet, mine filled with a custard and adzuki bean mix. It was a good end to the day’s outings, so I thought.

Then, on the way home, we stopped at a cemetery where some of the family’s relatives were buried. The father lit two small candles and a few incense before his family’s grave, and then he and the family paid their respects. I stood there watching silently, suddenly reminded of death’s presence. Up until now, I have been fortunate enough not to lose anyone close to me. I said another prayer, hoping that it would still be a long time before I would have to stand over someone’s grave.

JANUARY 3

Third time is the charm, right? Except, not this time: there was still no sleeping in, and no chance at a lazy day. This morning started off with an afternoon movie, a romantic drama that surrounded a girl’s musical journey as well. I’m not much for romance movies, but I enjoyed it for the most part. And then, they messed it up. Everyone stayed to sit through the credits when the movie ended, which was already borderline awkward because the theater was dead quiet. Then, a short clip plays… an extension of the movie, if you will, and it just made everything really confusing. Once that was over people were still quiet as they exited the theater. That silence was so eerie. In the States, there’s always chatter about something or other going on. I made a few comments to Ai just to break the silence around me.

Thankfully, once we exited the theater sounds filled the air again. Children ran about, arcade games were being played, friends chatted amongst themselves. It only took a few moments to readjust, and by then we were at the food court for lunch. Now that I think about it, having a movie theater right next to a department store with a food court is not something you can see in America. At least, I have never been to one. Basically, as we sat there munching down on our French Fries, I could eye the department store’s luggage and contemplate whether or not it was worth a closer look before biting into my burger.

The ride home was briefly delayed by a stop at Tsutaya, a rental and book store. I found the Japanese novel versions of Battle Royale for 600 yen each, but I didn’t buy them because I only had 1000 yen on hand. Now I know what they look like though, so next time I go to Book-Off I can search for them.

It so happened that at the same time my family decided to bombard me on Facebook chat. The four of us were talking in one chat message as I was looking around the store for Ai and her mom. I had to cut the chat short because they kept going off on tangents and I couldn’t stand in one place to try and figure out what they meant.

We returned home for a brief reset, and then it was back out to meet the extended family for dinner. Uncles, Aunts, Cousins and Grandparents… I was invited along, but somehow I felt like I was intruding on the family time. Once again, they were all kind and welcoming, and we shared a lot of talks over the full course meal. The Grandmother also gave me an unexpected gift, otoshidama, which is usually something they would only give to their grandchildren. I have received too much from this family, from every family! One day, I’ll repay them all— I won’t forget that.

Also, in the back of my mind, I’m starting to worry about all the food that’s gone in my body these past couple weeks. Not to mention, I haven’t been dancing at all since the weather got colder. I’m pretty sure any weight that I’ve lost in the past three months is going to make a comeback because of this holiday.

That said, my night did not end there…

JANUARY 4

Last night, there was a party going on in Nagoya with the International Students and some of our closest Japanese upperclassmen. In fact, one of the previous exchange students from France, who is now working in Tokyo, stopped by to spend a few days in Nagoya. This party was one of his celebrations.

I left Toyohashi at about 7pm, so just before nine o’clock I arrived at Kentaro’s apartment. I thought it would only be for a couple hours, and then I would go home. Somehow it became 2am, at which time the group was hungry and ready to move the party. We stopped at a nearby ramen joint, one of the only places open at that time of night. I only drank water, as I was still full, and my wallet was mostly empty.

We talked about a lot of things, but most importantly I found out that Junko finally decided on her job! She had been job hunting so long that I was honestly overjoyed to hear that she was done. It’s a small reminder that soon these upperclassmen that I have become so close to will soon be gone, off working in Tokyo or who knows where. That’s why, despite my tiredness, I stayed at the party. From there though, the groups split. One set going to karaoke, and the other, myself included heading home. Junko and another girl had missed the last train, but were too tired to go to karaoke so I let them stay in my room for the night. The two of them shared the bed, and I slept on top of my coat, in my warm Tigger costume, and we may have had the heat on for a bit as well.

The girls stayed in my room until 10am, and once they were safely out the door I went back to sleep for a couple hours. I had made plans to meet a friend later today, so I couldn’t stay in bed. When I woke up, I made an attempt, mostly out of boredom, to once again fix my tire. This coming Thursday it seems as though there is going to be a bike check, so I really need to fix my tire by then.

  

I had a simple wrench amongst my “I may need this one day” pile, but the grip was too small for the bicycle. Then, just as I was contemplating where to go looking for an adjustable wrench my friend messaged me the “OK”. We went out to the movies (agian! Haha). The movie tickets were 1800 yen though! I didn’t realize that yesterday when I went to the movie with Ai that we received such a large discount (we only paid 1000 yen). On the other hand, drinks and snacks were cheaper, so it all balanced out in the end. We watched the Conan VS Lupin III Movie, which was classically enjoyable. We would have watched the Hunger Games 2, but I haven’t seen the first one yet! Then we went out and ate shabu-shabu, thinly sliced beef boiled in water, for dinner. My new favorite thing is now mixing beef in raw egg and eating it over rice~ 

STUDY ABROAD: WEEK 10

NOVEMBER 3

School Festival Day One:

Our group gathered together this morning to prepare for the main showcases. Really, most of us were only their for support because only five groups performed today: girl’s hip hop, break dance, pop, lock, and a parody put on by a group of upperclassmen. Some graduated members also showed their support by coming to the performance. With all the practicing I’ve been doing, I’m surprised I haven’t seen these groups practicing! Their performances were nothing short of amazing, though the break dancers did have a few stumbles at first (too many people on a small stage).

(Festival decorations and sign boards advertising the special events.)

 

Jason had also joined a club in time to be a part of their festivities. Like many of the other clubs, Jason’s club, the English Speaking Society, set up a small food stall along the campus mall. Yakisoba, Frankfurt's, waffles, and in Jason’s case bite-size “puchi cakes” (donut balls). Of course, I had to show my support, so I bought a small cup of “puchi cakes”.

By that time a few of the other exchange students showed up to see the festival. We decided that we would explore the rest of the festival once Jason was done with his shift. As we perused the food stalls again I happened to start a conversation with one of the girls from the tennis club. Not only was she able to speak some English, but she hoped to study abroad at my University the following year. In short, we became quick friends, and she convinced me to buy some of the waffles her group was selling— I wanted some anyway, so all she had to do was ask.

Jason’s break rolled around so he, Mark, and I, along with three Japanese girls went up to the University’s 5th floor where the amusement section was set up. An entire wing was dedicated to trump card games, and magic tricks. That hall itself was decorated with card suits (heart, diamond, club, and spade) and the rooms were labeled after the face cards (King, Queen, Jack). The magic room was labeled as such. Honestly, I didn’t have too many expectations for the magic, but since I’m not an avid card player I put two of my 5 free tickets into seeing magic. I was pleasantly surprised; the students who performed the slight of hands were very very good. There was once a time when I was practicing card tricks. I tried to recall them as I pondered over the tricks before me, but I couldn’t figure out the trick.

Next, we went to the Joker room, where a version of Rock-Paper-Scissors was being played by throwing cards. Everyone starts with three jewels, and they can receive or lose jewels depending on whether they win against their opponent. My luck was running high. When everyone in our room had finished going through their small deck (about six cards per person) I ended up with seven jewels. The guy in charge didn’t even know what to give me for a prize. The prize was determined that if you can get four jewels you will receive two free tickets, so he just gave me four tickets.

I was back up to five tickets, and I didn’t really want them. I was satisfied leaving on a win, so I passed my tickets on to the Japanese girls, and the guys and I joined Long to go shopping. I wanted to find some shoes for futsal, so first we checked out the stores near the station. There was a nice pair for about 4000 yen, but I wasn’t set on them. Long suggested that there might be cheaper shoes in Osu, so we rode our bikes out there. He was right. I found a good pair of Adidas, a little more casual, but once I break them in I think they will work great. Only 2990 yen! Even if they don’t quite work out for futsal, at least I finally have a new pair of casual shoes.

Thanks to the store in Osu, I saved about 1000 yen; and what did I do with that money I saved? I bought pizza and ice cream obviously! Delicious Pizza Pasquale from Solo Pizza, and the essential convenient store ice cream. Now that I think about it, a lot of our hangouts end with ice cream, even though it’s getting cooler. It’s usually a sign of a good day.

NOVEMBER 4

School Festival Day Two: The day started out a little rough. The groups assembled at 9am for one final practice, but we were unable to do so. Last night it rained, and the stage that today’s performances were going to take place on happened to be uncovered. It was also the type of flooring with a thin layer of carpet that sucked up the rain water. As a result, we spent a good hour trying to soak up the water in toilet paper and towels. At 11am it was time to open the show. The freshmen group, Freashman’s Beat, my first group, was the opening showcase. Thankfully, by then the sun came out, too, and helped dry up the stage some.

Freashman’s Beat danced to Chris Brown’s Yeah Yeah Yeah, with choreography by Yuki. We had the most members among the groups, but we managed to fit everyone on the stage. It was tight, but it worked. I went most of the dance without missing a step, but the second I realized that (in the last chorus)—oops, wrong transition. Still, it was awesome!!

The hip-hop group that I was performing with was number 4 in the second half of the showcases, so I had plenty of time to change, watch other showcases, and mentally prepare. I don’t recall messing up, but I wouldn’t be surprised if my timing was off at times (it’s hard to tell from my friend’s pictures).

My first and last school festival… first stage performance… I’m not even half way done with my study abroad yet, but I am going to miss BPM terribly when I have to leave.

That night, for no particular reason except that we were free, nine of us went to Sushi-Ro for dinner. Usually, I try to keep my balance under 1000 yen, which is a maximum of nine plates at 105 yen each. Today however, a student from AIDAI named Maeda joined us. I guess normally he eats over fifteen plates, so those of us sitting right next to him were influenced. The guys ate more than their usual fair, nearly tying with Maeda. I myself had twelve plates and a green tea parfait, none of which do I regret. (Again, the day/meal ends in ice cream!) Also~ Shrimp Avocado is my favorite~~ with the sweet sauce and onions and mayo it reminds me of a burger- I know that doesn’t make sense, but that’s what it reminds me of. I think it’s the aforementioned sauce, fresh onions and mayo mix that triggers that memory though.

They night didn’t end there! It was only 7pm, so we went to karaoke. You may notice that I’m quickly becoming a fan of this pastime, know that I found songs I can enjoy. Those three hours we went was more expensive than if we had gone until morning, but there’s always next time. It was still an all-you-can-drink three hours, and I drank a ton of cocoa-coffee, leaving me simultaneously tired and wired. I need to quit the coffee…

Tomorrow is Totoro’s birthday, so we are going to go to a place called Sweets Paradise: one price, all-you-can-eat pasta and desserts for seventy-minutes. My body is going to hate me.

NOVEMBER 5

My cell phone minutes expired today so I bought a new prepaid card, 3000 yen, for the next two months. Now I have 50+ minutes. I should call home and use some up I guess, since I never use it for daily life here, only LINE and Wifi.

11am rolled around quickly and we all met up outside the subway station to walk to Sweets Paradise. 70 minutes for 1480 yen. I had to start with dessert; I mean the place is called Sweets Paradise, not Pasta and Sweets Paradise. First plate was lined up with half a dozen samplings, it was delicious. Second plate; should have stopped, it was a good place to stop, but I had at least one sample over everything. These are dinner-size plates by the way. Then, I made the mistake of getting a third plate with my favorites. I had a feeling I shouldn’t have once I sat back down, but it was too late. After that plate I needed a 40-minute break. It wasn’t just me at that point, half of us opted to rest, but some kept going. The pasta smelled so good. I tried a bite of Joy’s, which was also a mistake, because it was delicious, and once I had digested the past three plates enough to stand up, I got some pasta.

I can only wonder ‘Why are there so many all-you-can-eat/drink places in Japan?’ It’s either that, or you pay a lot for an itty-bitty serving. Maybe I should just cook at home more.

Our time was up, and the group of us hobbled home, tired and stuffed. A nap would have been nice, but I needed to get homework done and print out my already late homework. Jason, Mark and I decided to go to the library, but they had to go on ahead because I found a huge hole in my front tire. That means no biking for a while. The walk was good, though I doubt it helped much with the mass of food settling in my stomach.

Tonight, it’s vegetable nabe. We must cleanse~

NOVEMBER 6

Our short vacation is over~ It’s back to school. I finally turned in my homework, and made things right. I even brought a change of clothes to go workout, but my timing was bad, so I couldn’t actually go to the gym.

NOVEMBER 7

Morning class; one of the English teachers wants to start an English Café for the students during second period, but we haven’t heard anything about it yet. I stopped at MaxValu on the way home for lunch, bought some groceries and a chicken teriyaki pizza. Joy, Rachael and I ate our lunch together in Rachael’s room, and then I went back to school around 2pm for dance.

Strangely, there weren’t that many people at practice today. I guess there was an event down in Toyohashi, but I didn’t catch the details. Mark and I took the opportunity to learn how to pop from one of the members. You’re supposed to go from 0 to 100, which creates that sudden pop. The first time is easy enough, but I keep getting stuck when I need to go back down to 0. Maybe I’m thinking about it too hard.

Tonight, Chaerim, Jason and I made kimchi nabe. I wasn’t a huge fan of kimchi before, but it’s pretty good in nabe.

NOVEMBER 8

Culture class today was our calligraphy (shodo) experience! Rather than choosing a single kanji or word to write, I had song lyrics stuck in my head, so I wrote out a line. It’s from Tohoshinki’s Doushite (Why did I end up liking you?) I also tried to put an artistic touch on the layout, but I kept messing up in one little place… the ‘ta’ or the ‘te’. By the end of the period, I wished I just picked a few kanji, haha.

There was an earthquake drill during lunch time, so all of the students had to leave the building, meet in the parking lot and check-in. It didn’t look like anyone really knew what was going on, so the process took longer than expected. There was also a survey past the check point, which I think was the cause of the time delay.

After that, Joy and I were going to try and workout in the fitness room after class, but we were unable to because there was fitness classes all day. Instead, we and Rachael went shopping in Sakae and Osu. I bought a sweater~! Because it’s getting cold and most of the clothes I brought were to prepare for the hot, humid summer. I need to find pants somewhere else though, there’s no way I can fit in the women’s pants yet.

In Osu, there was a new store called Alice on Wednesday. It looks like it would be really big from the outside because the door display is really long. Then you enter through a small door (about 3 feet tall), and you find yourself in a small boutique, with two small rooms. All the merchandise was Alice in Wonderland themed, but it was pretty cramped. I guess during peak times they have to control the number of people inside.

We returned home after that to kill some time before heading out to the Elephant’s Nest. I borrowed Mark’s bike and joined Rachael and Joy at the bar for some delicious Fish n’ Chips, karage (fried chicken), and Nachos. We also got a major discount from our friend who worked there! We didn’t expect it, but he only asked us for half the price. I’m grateful, but I hope he doesn’t get in trouble for that.

NOVEMBER 9

I believe this week has been about food, nothing else.

The saga continues with the Toyokawa B-1 Granprix. When I was invited a few weeks ago, I heard the word ‘granprix’ and I assumed we were going to a car race. Yes, it’s true I didn’t bother to check the website, so last week when my friend confirmed with me that I was going I noticed it was actually about food. The B-1 Granprix is more like a giant food contest, with many different regions bringing their specialties to one gigantic event. And, when I say, gigantic, I mean it was PACKED with people.

We boarded the Meitetsu train in Nagoya, and it was quite packed then. From there, it only got worse. We were packed like sardines, and then they shoved more people in, that’s how bad it was. Along the way we also had to change trains, so try to imagine a large trail people going up and other the tracks to the next platform. This was one of the few times that politeness seemed to take a back seat to personal priority. I was just praying that once we arrived it wouldn’t be as bad.

Thankfully, the event took place throughout a park, and nearby sports fields. It was still packed in all areas near the food stands, but it was bearable. Lines for food were obscenely long— it’s true when they say that the Japanese like to line up for things. Some lines took almost three hours, just to get one order of food. Our group split up into three and we divided and conquered: yakisoba (yes, we waited two hours for yakisoba), gyoza, karage, and zanzai. The karage chicken and zenzai, adzuki bean dessert, were my favorite. Was it worth the hours of waiting? I wouldn’t say that, but we had fun hanging out in the lines, coordinating food orders and wondering ‘Why are we here again?’ Then we would see the orders of food and remember: food.

Going home was just as bad as coming. I can’t imagine traveling even that far again just to eat. Maybe I just haven’t noticed before, but there is a really prominent food culture here. I suppose, that goes for anywhere though. There’s always some special food to try, and there’s always someone who goes to try it. If I hadn’t been invited and gone with friends, there would have been no way I would have gone. At this point, I’m over eating.