Just another day in 日本

Lawlz there was this dude snoring super loudly on the train this morning. The trains are super awk at rush hour because they're like dead silent. Literally no one is talking. It's so weird. So yeah it was dead quiet and then you hear this reeeaaally loud snoring haha.

I have no idea how the first week I managed to catch the super rapid train each time even though I had no idea what I was doing and now that I do know what I'm doing, I always get to the station when the local trains are running. It's soo annoying bc it takes 30 min as opposed to 15-20.

Ha and since we're on the topic of trains, the other day I scanned my train pass and it beeped red and wouldn't let me through. I tried to slip through anyway because I've done that before and gotten away with it, but this time the guy at the window totally saw me and started shouting at me in Japanese to come over haha. Darn.

When we were going to the castle yesterday, my card didn't work because the station wasn't on my route. I did this awesome slide on my feet through the gate before it closed but the CJS faculty made me go back and pay anyway. :(

I reminded myself of the middle schoolers I always watched slip through the turnstile to ride the subway in New York for free.

And one more thing about trains. They play this really pretty music when the subway is about to come in. I love it! I really want it on a soundtrack so I can listen to it all the time haha.

Gosh this post is already super long and I haven't even said anything worthwhile about my day!

I almost missed the stop for Kanayama this morning. I tuned out the dude who announces the stops but just happened to look up at which station we were at and it said Kanayama! So I got out of my seat just as we pulled in, instead of a few minutes before like everyone does.

(Cute guy haha)

(The hill up to school everyone complains about)

When I got to school I talked to Rana a bit but she had to study for her Japanese class, so I decided to go buy my lunch at Lawson before the line got too long. Even though campus was strangely empty today. Idk where all the Japanese students were!

So I bought the giant melon pan again because it's the cheapest and biggest of the breads, and a CUP OF FRESH FRUIT omg!! It had apples, dragon fruit, and yellow kiwi! And then a huge carton of orange juice.

I heard kids shouting so I went to go explore why and I came across the lacrosse team practicing!

(Lacrosse team)

(I like how our trash bins say Nanzan University lol)

I'm pretty sure I'm dying because I'm still sick and it's been a week. So I decided to go to the clinic. They were really slow about helping me so I ended up being late to class. I ran into Matsui san, one of the CJS faculty and he helped translate for me. They gave me cough drops like I wanted and then photocopied the box for me so I could buy more if I wanted! They also gave me four sick masks, which I'll die before I wear haha.

Because I was late to class I missed the first half of the quiz, but it sounded like because I was at the clinic and not skipping class they won't count the quiz which is good because I spelled some things wrong anyway.

I found out that I was supposed to pick up my workbook from my mailbox yesterday (how was I supposed to know that?!) so I could do my homework. So I guess I got a late grade for homework. Ugh. At least I finally understand how everything works for the most part.

We got out of class 2 minutes early for lunch, yay! So I went with Taylor and Jess and one of their friends to lunch. We ate at the place I got the ramen at the other day. I had miso katsu, which Nagoya is famous for. It was delicious!

After lunch I did the workbook homework that was due this morning. I didn't have class till 3 so I went to the CJS office and found out that I got into the bonsai experience I'd been on the wait list for!

It's this Saturday and I'm really excited!

Because I had time, I went to the computer lab to use the computer. There were a bunch of Japanese students in there on the computers. I found out that they had these next few days off as study days, so most chose not to come to school.

Anyway, the computer was all in Japanese and so frustrating to use! But I was able to check my Tech email and email back Akiko, the lady I met on the train yesterday.

(Pretty hallway going out of the library building)

Also Google was really cool here today!

Then I had my Japanese Folklore class. We introduced ourselves and said 3 things we liked about Japan and 3 things we miss from our home country. Everyone kept saying how they missed peanut butter and I was like whooaaahhh I forgot about peanut butter! But apparently it doesn't exist here!

Then we had to choose a movie to present about. I wanted to do Spirited Away, but of course it filled up so fast. And so did the other one that looked interesting, Departures. 

So I signed up to do The Mourning Forest. I have no clue what it's about. And I'm gonna have to find time to go watch it in the library. Or maybe If I check it out my host family will watch it with me, because I hate watching movies alone.

We got out of class a half hour early (5 pm) which was nice because the sun was already setting! I went downstairs and picked up my workbook this time.

Then Rana, Pearl and I left together. Pearl went back to her dorm and Rana and I got on the subway. We met up with Esteban on the subway. His host family lives in Ichinomiya too, so he and I went all the way home together. He's one of the two people I've met who have a longer commute than I do, but only by a bit. He takes a bus from Ichinomiya Station to his house, so he actually loves farther out than I do!

We took the local train since the next rapid didn't come for another 15 min. Ugh I hate the local train so much!

It was 6:40 by the time I got home. Imagine if I'd gotten out of class when I was supposed to, at 5:30. Geez! I might be too late for dinner on some nights. I guess I really need to get minutes on my phone in case that ever happens...

I talked to Yuko and she said this really long paragraph in Japanese and then was like "wakarimasu ka?" Asking if I understood. And I translated back what I thought she said in English and I was right! Omg I must be getting better at listening :D

Dinner was sooooo delicious!!! Holy crap. My favorite meal yet! We had Oden.

(I liked that it was pink ^^ )

What it had in it:

- tamago (hard boiled eggs)

- sakana (the pink things. Fish. They were hot pink inside!!!)

- tofu (one of the brown things)

- vegetable stuff (in the other brown thing)

- pickled daikon (but when it's boiled like this it tastes like potato!)

- potato jelly (wtf... It was actually good but had such a weird texture lol)

Ahhhh so so good! Oishii desu yo! And we had mikan for dessert.

And I talked a lot at dinner tonight! These are the times when I'm happy I chose a host family. Maybe I'd get more sleep in a dorm, but I definitely wouldn't get all the practice I do now. I just wish my Japanese were better!

Miyabi helped me do my homework lol. It was child's play for her. The stupid thing is we have to memorize the dialogues in the Genki textbook and say them in class, so I had Miyabi be Takeshi and I was Mary and we practiced. :)

P.S. My host family has freaking scented toilet paper. I'm dying.

Also more pictures people put on Facebook from the castle:

At the entrance