Another Friday night in Sakae!!

March 7:

We had bacon for breakfast this morning... I didn't even know bacon existed in Japan...

I really need to learn a way to politely say I don't like things. Yuko was really rushed this morning and kind of exasperated because Miyabi was bitching about something so I didn't want to add more stress to her life by telling her I didn't like the breakfast she'd worked so hard to make. So I ate it anyway. At least we had toast too!

Also, the train was really bad this morning. I was so squished between people, I couldn't even move my arms. I was wearing my hat and a bunch of layers, since it's so cold out, but inside the train, it was so warm I was suffocating and felt like I was going to faint.

Every time I start to miss Japan when I get back home, I'll just remember the train ride every morning. :/

Then on top of all that, when we were turning our homework in in class, I realized I hadn't done the back of the worksheet because I hadn't realized it had a back. Fail. So I couldn't turn it in.

Theeeen in project work, sensei told me my presentation is next week! Whaaaat?? And a Japanese guest is going to come in to listen. Fml. Then I asked if I had to memorize all the stuff I'd written and she said yes. 

Fml Fml Fml Fml Fml.

I can't do this. When I memorized an essay I wrote in Spanish, it was when I was in my third year of Spanish, and even then I still messed up.

This isn't going to turn out well at all. Dekinai.

At least afterwards, my day finally started looking up. I went to lunch and sat with Deanna and Minju. They were with a Japanese girl who had been assisting their project work class. Her name was Chihiro. Then Chirhiro's friend Aya showed up so I got to practice my Japanese. After Minju and Deanna left for class, I stayed and talked with Chihiro and Aya for a bit. I used a word I'd learned talking to sensei just before in project work, "takasugiro," which means "too expensive"! While I was talking, I saw snow flurries out the window! Whaaaatt?? It was not that cold out! It was 45 and sunny!

I was like "yuki ga futeimasu!" And these Japanese guys near us all turned to look outside lol.

After I parted from Chihiro and Aya, I went outside to walk in it and I ran into Jose and Josephine. We all mused about how strange it was that it was snowing.

The computer lab was closed, so I went back to Lawson's to get on the wifi. Then Rafa and Esteban came over to sit with me, so I stayed and talked to them while they ate their lunch. Brendan came over too to chat. Rafa got really weird sakura ebi flavored popcorn! I didn't like it, but then again I don't really like popcorn, so idk...

He also got a vanilla ice cream popsicle that had red bean paste inside!! Omg it looked sooooo good! I wish I could eat ice cream :'(

It started snowing again while we were talking, but had stopped by the time we left Lawson's. I walked back to the CJS building with everyone and then left for the train station to go to Sakae (when I told the guys that, Rafa rolled his eyes and was like "of course" haha. I loooove Sakae!)

I realized if I go the direction I go home and get off and then back on at Kanayama and then continue to Sakae, it's 60 yen cheaper!! So I did that. 

When I got to Sakae, I went around the underground mall for a bit until 4, when I walked over to exit 14, where I was meeting Natalia to go to the Nanzan photography club's art exhibit.

(Pink contacts!)

(Contacts with characters on them... Only in Japan!)

(Contacts on display. Sooo weird!)

(Pretty fountain in the underground mall)

Natalia got there right on time and had brought her friend Sandra, whom I'd met a few times. The three of us went to the exit that opens into Oasis 21. I'd forgotten the map Haruki had drawn me, but I remembered the way. Then we saw a sign for the exhibit with the room and just followed the signs pointing to that room. 

It was a really small room with black and white photos all over the walls. The Japanese students manning the front table were really surprised to see foreigners there, lol. They had us fill out this questionnaire thing where we wrote the titles of the photos we liked and what we liked about them. And they let us write it in English! The photos were all pretty interesting, especially ones taken in the homes of the students! I got to see what other Japanese homes looked like.

When we'd all finished filling out our forms and looked at all the pictures, we left. We went to go sit at a table in Oasis 21 and Natalia and Sandra shared some bread they'd bought earlier with me and I ate a bit of my pb&j. Then we all headed to Daiso.

(They had stickers to make double eyelids... I've never understood why Japanese people want double eyelids so much...)

(This sharp pen (Japanese word for mechanical pencil) was so cool! It had pink fluid inside and was made to look like a syringe!)

(Engrish)

I bought this hair bow on a ponytail holder I've been wanting for a while and a lace headband. 

Sandra and Natalia were taking forever and I wanted to look around in Book Off before I met Keniichiro, so I peaced out. In Book Off I found this super cute poofy black skirt on the 200 yen rack that I really wanted to buy, but I didn't want to be late, so I left it there and decided to go back later and if it's still there, that'll be a sign to buy it.

When I got to exit 4 of Sakae station, I ended up being 5 minutes early anyway. Ugh. But I didn't wait too long before Keniichiro showed up. He had brought Keiko again, as well as this guy (another coworker of his) who said his nickname was Masu. I spoke to the three of them a lot in Japanese! We waited for another one of Keniichiro's coworkers and his wife, who said they'd be late.

When they showed up, we headed out. We went to a kaitenzushi place I'd never noticed before in Oasis 21. It was yummy! I had my favorites like tuna, ikura, and inarizushi, but also some weird ones like eggplant sushi, natto sushi, and some fish with Sakura flavoring! It had the leaf that was on that okashi I ate and this pink stuff sprinkled on top.

During dinner, Keniichiro made me ask a bunch of awkward questions to everyone. It was funny haha. Also I was talking in English about going to Tokyo and when I said when I was going, I used the Japanese word "saraishuu". Keniichiro wanted to know what saraishuu is in English, so I taught everyone that it means "the week after next", but I Iike saying "saraishuu" better because it's shorter! Keniichiro kept having me say it again because he forgot it, but by the end of the night he had it down!

When we were finished and I was stuffed, we all left. Everyone paid for dinner except me. They wouldn't let me when I tried!! The whole thing in Japan about the younger people not having to pay really bothers me. It makes me feel bad.

Keniichiro was all like "It's fine, I'm an okanemochi" (rich person)

And I was like "uso!" (That's a lie)

And everyone laughed haha.

The dinosaur statues in Oasis 21 are so cool and kind of scary at night! Their eyes glow red and there're rainbow lights shining on them. I didn't get to take a picture, but I will in the future.

Then we walked out into Sakae and headed to this Mexican themed bar, haha. It was playing a lot of popular American songs that I like and Keniichiro knew almost all of them! He really likes the top 40 American bands and songs. I asked if he likes Imagine Dragons and he told me he likes "Radioactive". Yes! Then "Hear Me" started playing later, so everyone else got to hear how awesome Imagine Dragons is! :)

The drinks all looked soooo good, and I couldn't decide on one. Keniichiro said he'd pick one for me. So he bought me an El Diablo, which was a red drink with tequila. It was really good!

Then we got pistachios, fries, chips, and sausages and just talked and ate. Keniichiro is going to Dallas next week, so he had me tell him all about Texas and give him advice about what to expect. It's a pity he's going to such a boring city. The only cool things I could think of in Dallas are the original Six Flags and the Dallas Cowboys. 

But he asked me about how to pay the driver in the taxi. I had no idea how much a taxi costs per mile, but I did know how to tip and the amount to tip! So I told him that. :)

He was worried because the first day he'd be by himself, but then he's going to meet up with Yokoe san (who's at VT now) at the work conference they're going to.

When we had all drank (not what is been expecting at all. I thought we'd be going to a nomihoudai, but I guess everyone else's only really wanted one drink), we headed out.

Keiko broke off to take a taxi and then the rest of us took the Higashiyama line to Nagoya Eki. Keniichiro, and Masu headed home from the station. But Ayaka and Shu (the couple) and I needed to take trains home. We stopped in front of the JR line to take pictures together. They were so cute!! We added each other on Facebook and Line! :) Then I headed for the train entrance and looked back and saw then waving at me! Omg. So cute!!

I saw this girl drunk off her ass being held up by her two friends. It wasn't even 10 pm yet! 

Also, the train station was sooooo crowded!! 

I took the 10 pm train back to Ichinomiya, then rode my bike home (it felt like it was sprinkling and when I got back home my phone said snow flurries, so it snowed again!) and got back at 10:30. I found this note stuck in my door. I was really excited when I could actually read and understand it lol.

Yuko had stayed up, though and was in the living on her iPad. She told me I could take a shower so I did. Ugh, I reeked of smoke from the bar. I'm happy there are no smoking laws in America, because it makes you feel really trashy.

Anyway, when I went back in to say good night to Yuko, she asked me if something called tsukushi exists in America. It had been in a book she was translating to English for her class today and she'd looked up how to translate and it had said "horsetail." I told her I knew cattail, but not horsetail! Tsukushi is this Japanese plant that Yuko used to pick at the river bank when she was younger and then they'd cook it and eat it! She thought it was really interesting that we don't have it in America.

Also, I carried around all day, the okashi Keniichiro and Keiko bought for me last time that we decided I'd bring back when we all drank together. But we didn't end up eating it! Rawr. So I finally opened it because curisosity was getting the better of me. And here's what was inside!

(Yummy!)

P.S. I've been in Japan for 2 months!! Time has really flown by!