Gray day. Everything is gray. I watch. But nothing moves today.

People walk through the Bamboo Grove on a rainy Saturday afternoon.

Me at a park near the Bamboo Grove.

 Saturday marked my being in Japan for three whole months! It is also the two week mark before I leave Japan. Due to this ever pressing deadline, even the rain could not keep me and my roommate from going to Kyoto on Saturday. We visited Arashiyama and the Bamboo Grove, which is one of the sites I knew I wanted to go to before I even arrived to Japan. While I wish it hadn't been raining it was still a cool site to see. Also beautiful is the fall colors, or kouyou, in Kyoto.

Friday night we celebrated Thanksgiving here at JCMU. It was only a week late not too bad. It was amazing. The office staff cooked four turkeys and lots of the stuffing and mashed potatoes. Some of the students even helped make apple pie. It was a fun night where just about all the students and staff got together to enjoy a delicious meal.

Togetsukyo, or Moon Crossing, Bridge in Arashiyama

When the drops stop dropping then the storm starts stopping.

The main walkway leading into the mountain.

Me standing next to a torii gate.

 Usually Friday mornings consists of a weekly test on my Japanese language skills followed by a "Friday Project" which ranges from koto lessons to calligraphy. This Friday the test was moved up a day so JCMU students could have more time at the elementary school we were visiting. I was not excited. It was the morning, I was tired, the idea of screaming first and second graders everywhere did not sound like a good time.

I was mistaken.

Visiting the school has been my favorite Friday project thus far. All the JCMU students got split up between ten or so different elementary schools in the area. I, along with three other JCMU students, visited 156 first and second graders at Takamiya elementary school. We waited in the principals office until a group of four second graders came, with their teacher, where they took each us by the hand and lead us into the gym where 70 or so children were waiting for us and started applauding as we entered. We were than sat down in front of all these children and they sang for us. This was followed by a game of dodgeball. It took me till I was in jail to figure how they play, but it was still a lot of fun. The children would just drag me to where ever I needed to go. The first graders second hour was pretty much a repeat except we made paper airplanes instead of dodgeball, which I'm pretty sure turned into gaijin target practice, but again still fun. Sorry there are no photos I was having too much fun.

Afterwards, my roommate and I spent the afternoon in Kyoto. We wanted to go to both Fushimi Inari-Taisha Shrine and Arashiyama, but the shrine was a bit more than we anticipated so we didn't make it to Arashiyama. The shrine is famous for the torii gates all lined up. It was massive and very impressive. Most of the pictures I've seen of the place are of the main walk way, which is flat. We come find out however it's actually built into the side of a mountain. It was a beautiful but exhausting climb.

There are thousands of torii gates located along the pathways.

One of the many miniature shrines located along the pathways.

Oh, the things you can find if you don't stay behind!

The golden pavilion of Kinkakuji in Kyoto.

The gardens at Heian jingo shrine in Kyoto.

 Of all the field trips I've ever been on for school this one takes the cake. Saturday a bus load of JCMU students went to Kyoto for the day. The first stop of the day was Kinkakuji. We only had about half an hour there but that was enough to be impressed. The golden pavilion sits out on a pond surrounded by walkways.

The second stop was my favorite of the day. The gardens at Heian jingo is one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited. Walking weave through the garden and over ponds. We fed fish and turtles. We even saw a bride and groom getting their picture taken. I found out the women was wearing a head covering to hide her "horns of jealousy". The shrine here was impressively large and beautiful.

Carp expecting to be fed.

The last stop of the day was Kiyomizu-dera. A temple located in the side of a mountain. It had an amazing view of Kyoto from the top. While all these places that I visited were amazing the thing that got me the most was how many foreigners I saw. Where I currently reside I don't see any other "gaijin" than those of us in the program. In fact, we are usually so surprised when we see non-Japanese people we can't help but point it out.

Heian Jingo

Kiyomizu-dera