One fish Two fish Red fish Blue fish!

Jellyfish at the Osaka Aquarium.

One of the worlds tallest Ferris Wheels in Osaka.

Saturday, I visited the largest city I've been too since I've come to Japan. Osaka is not the place for the claustrophobic; there is no shortage of people.  It was fun seeing all the different shops, and there were plenty, but our main intention in going to Osaka was the aquarium. As my roommate put it, it was probably the most touristy thing, outside of temples, that we've seen. It was also one of the most fun. I love aquariums and this one was huge! It didn't just have fish but animals too. You start by riding an extremely steep escalator to the top of the building and then work your way down.  My favorite was the penguins that darted through the water. While I didn't take them up on the offer, after seeing the octopus you could go buy some to eat. After going through the one of worlds largest aquariums we rode one of the worlds largest Ferris wheels. It was very cool to see the city all lit up at night. All in all it was a good touristy day.

Teeth are always in style.

The obi of a kimono tied into a bow.

Melville sensei helps Kayla Vaillancourt tie her obi.

A couple of weeks ago I tagged along with my friends as they bought kimonos. While they are beautiful I opted on the side of practicality and didn't buy one because: one they are expensive and two I have no idea where I would ever wear one back in the States. Today I had the opportunity to learn how to put one on.

I never wanted to take it off.

I felt a little like Mulan and my inner child relished in it (she's my favorite Disney princess). Even though it was slightly like being strapped into a corset and my feet couldn't move farther than five inches apart I was in love. Melville sensei just laughed as she tied it tighter and said this is why old people here don't have back problems. It was no easy task putting one on. You have to lift the fabric here and fold this way and tie one strap here and another there and then you wrap the obi around you and tie it all up. Eventually we all got it and we looked great.

The ladies try and figure out how to tie their obi's after Meliville sensei demonstrated it.

Robert Shelton and Peter Marheine figure out how to put on the obi.

My beautiful roommate Kendra Snelson models the final product.

All alone! Whether you like it or not, alone is something you'll be quite a lot!

A shrine that is less than a five minute walk from my school.

Really steep stairs.

This week was a bit of a struggle bus. I had an almost melt down mid-week because I was getting frustrated with my language class and a little homesick. In case you were wondering Japanese is kind of hard to learn. At least for me it is. However, the week did end on a high note with my professor telling me she was impressed with how much my Japanese has improved.

Friday was also fun because we got to do interviews with Japanese people from Hikone or near by towns. I was nervous going into it because I was afraid they wouldn't understand my questions or I wouldn't be able to comprehend their answers, but thankfully it went well. The first hour I practice my Japanese and the second hour they practice their English. It was difficult and there was quite a few times I had to turn to my partner to confirm or ask what it was they said, but I overall it was fun. I was surprise by how many people came out for it and the age range. There were some younger people but most of people were housewives with ages ranging from 40 to 70. My favorite was talking to man who is now retired. We talk about our love of travel and beer. He has been all over the world.

Saturday I spent the day by myself which was pretty much a first since I've been in Japan. I don't mean I just went to the shrine by myself but there was no else there. It was a really cool place and I enjoyed wandering through the hillside. There were a couple different pathways you could go explore. It was fun though my legs were tired by the end. Japan never seems to have a lack of stairs.

Just tell yourself, Duckie, you're real quite lucky.

Deer crowd a man with treats for them in Nara.

The Great Buddha statue located in Daibutsu-den hall.

A short walk from the Kintetsu Nara station puts you in Nara-koen. A large park in a city that was the first permanent capital of Japan if only for a little while. The park is the located of Todaji-ji which houses the famously large statue of the Buddha. And it was large. The hall in which it was held, Daibutsu-den hall, was equally if not more impressive. It was rebuilt in 1709 and is the worlds largest wooden building. I was in awe.

My favorite part of the trip was the deer. They were everywhere. Before we even actually got the the park area we were surround by deer. Friendly, pet-able, wild deer. Unless you were in a building you were not out of site of deer. We even had one join us for lunch. The park itself is gorgeous. It was a mix and of forest and open grassy areas.  Nara has been my favorite place I've visited.

If you never did you should. These things are fun and fun is good.

A beach near my school.

This week marks my being in Japan for over a month! I've gotten use to the way most things are done. While there are some things that annoy me, I find a lot of things make sense.

Showers: The bathrooms here are tiny, at least in the dorm. Thankfully I'm short. I'm pretty sure anyone over 5'8" has to crouch to get their hair wet. In order to get hot water in the shower or the sink you have to press an on bottom and select what temperature you want (It looks like a thermostat). This makes sense to me. Water only gets heated when you need it to be hot. Fun fact though, the controls that are by sink also control the one in the shower. So, for example, when your in the shower in the morning and your roommate is done using the hot water for the sink and she turns it off, the hot water goes off in the shower too. And it gets cold. Fast.

Waves breaking against the shore.

Shoes: Different shoes are needed for indoors and outdoors. When coming in from outside you have to take off your shoes and put on your indoor shoes. This is true for our dorm. When we walk in the building we have to take off our shoes and put on other one, and then we we get to our room we take off the indoor shoes as well. Japan is all about cleanliness. It is actually a good way to keep dirt out. Though it is mildly annoying when your hands are full of groceries and there are other people trying their shoes from the same place as yours.

Transportation: I love the trains here. Even though they get crowded as you move toward, they are clean, timely, and, aside from the bullet trains, relatively cheap.  It cost me less to go to Nagahama and back than it does for me to take the Metra into Chicago.  I also love riding my bike everywhere.  Does it suck when you want to buy out all of the grocery store and are limited to what you can fit in a basket and backpack? Yes, but I instead of making trips to the grocery store every two weeks like I would at home I now go once or twice a week. Not the end of the world.

People: I have yet to meet an unkind person. Sometimes you just get stared at for being the only foreigner in 50 miles. Some people want to just test their English and get a photo with gaijin. I love riding my bike down the road saying “Konichiwa!” to everyone I think will say it back, most say it first.  Everyone my friends and I ever have ever asked for help has given us some. They are also very forgiving when I have no idea what they’re trying to say to me.

Classes:  Studying abroad would be really great if it weren’t for the whole studying part. My culture and society class is great. It’s in English, we take field trips, and I enjoy the subject. My language class is hard. They weren’t kidding when they said intensive. I get frustrated because majority (and by majority I mean everyone except for one other guy and myself) has taken at least some Japanese and most times I just do my best to not look like a complete fool when my sensei calls on me. Though to give the program credit I sure do know a lot more Japanese than when I first started. I’m also extremely grateful to Melville sensei for being patient and working with me.

On the same note, even though I do get frustrated when I can’t understand people or read a sign, common sense has gotten me pretty far. A good sense of direction helps too.

It all began with a shoe on the wall. A shoe on the wall shouldn't be there at all.

The view of the garden from the tatami room at JCMU.

The teachers show us how a tea ceremony works.

Friday I got to see and participate in a tea ceremony. The ceremony involves one person making matcha (a powdered form of tea) and presenting it to others. The tea is also accompanied with some sort of sweet. The process is very structure. There is a place for every item and a certain way to use each item. First we got to watch how it was done. One woman would sit there while the other made and brought her tea.

After watching them perform the ceremony, we got to be the guests and were given sweets and tea to drink. The sweets get passed down the line. After you finish the sweets you are able to drink the tea (but until you finish the sweet). After picking up the cup, you have to hold it in your left hand and turn it clockwise two times so that the Shomen (the design on the cup) faces outward. When finished drinking you must always wipe the rim. During the entire ceremony you are suppose sit proper on your knees. I'll admit my legs cramped up; I couldn't sit like that the entire time. One student asked the women if their legs hurt to which she replied they always hurt. She also gave a warning to us as we got up to watch out.

When receiving your tea you must bow to the host serving you.