Lunch with sensei at a saru cafe!!

Friday, May 2

I made sure to make conversation at breakfast this morning. I asked what time we were leaving tomorrow morning and told everyone about my happyou and communication test.
Then on the train to school, I went over the little comments I have to make after I list the answers I received when I was interviewing. I could say everything fine, except I kept forgetting little words in the comments.

So today we had our conversation test. Aka, no class. But of course because I'm cursed with the horror of a last name that starts with the second letter of the alphabet (thanks, Dad. Actually no, Dad couldn't help it. I blame mom for marrying a guy with a B last name), I was first, so my conversation started at 9:20, regular class time.
It's so not fair. In Emma's 400 class, they get to pick their time slot and the later slots are saved for people who live farther away, so Emma always gets the last spot because she lives the farthest in her class. I'm the only one in my class not in the dorms, so I should have been last.
But in actuality I didn't really mind because I got it over with and then could use the time after to practice for my happyou.
The test went pretty well! I was able to answer all Kondo sensei's questions with very little hesitation. The only time I messed up was when she asked me a question using "doushite," which means "why?" and I always forget that whenever you get a "doushite" question, you have to answer using "kara", which means "because." So I said everything, but of course forgot "kara", and she looked up at me for a second before looking back down at her paper, and that's when I realized and added "kara" a beat later.
When I was finished, Kondo sensei told me in Japanese, that I did really well and that I'd done well on the previous conversation test as well. Then she told me I was really good at kanji too and always had good grades on tests, probably the best in the class. Yeah, I knew that. I wish I had been in the 400 level because 300 was such a breeze... :/
But oh well, at least I got to explore and have adventures rather than doing stupid homework assignments that took me forever!

So after my test, I went to J building to rehearse with my PowerPoint since classes were going on in the computer rooms in R. On the way, I ran into Yasuko.　She said she had class in the afternoon and for now was heading to the library to work. I told her about my happyou and she wished me luck!

I was able to remember everything for my happyou when I practiced, so I set off to class, confident. But when I got there, Esteban and other Dylan came in and sat down. So the 400 students really were coming to watch... (~_~;) I had to wait about 15 minutes because not all of them had gotten the memo and had gone to the wrong building. While we waited, Fukutomi sensei asked why I had come to study in Japan. I hate that question. Everyone always asks me. Just like when people ask me why I chose Tech.
Anyway, I said the whole Spirited Away spiel, which is hard when I have to do it in Japanese. Then Esteban told sensei that I memorized all the words to the movie when I was little. Haha. I don't even remember telling him that. It's kind of hazukashii... She probably thinks I'm weird now.

When everyone finally got there, I gave my presentation. I hadn't felt nervous beforehand, but I must have been and didn't realize it. Because I tripped up a bit and forgot the last sentence of my conclusion, which was the easiest one: "The interview was fun." Haha, really, Cate?
But everyone clapped and then asked me a lot of questions and I struggled to answer them in Japanese. I told everyone about the girls taking my picture interviewing that one guy, lol.
Aftterwards the 400 students and I sat in the same room and our respective senseis gave us work to do. I had to finish typing up my presenatation. Then sensei had me add pictures to it and print out two color copies. She took one and let me keep the other.

Here it is!

So long, huh? And I had to memorize all of that!

And then class was over and it was saru cafe time!! Kondo sensei, Dylan, Heather, and Natalia were all down in the lobby waiting for me after my class let out. We waited for a bit longer because we weren't sure if Chris or Ryan were coming. Tina had said she'd meet us there.
I talked to Yukari for a bit while we waited and then I saw Minju and Deanna so I went to talk to them too.
Finally, we decided Ryan and Chris weren't coming, so we headed out. On the way out, we saw Kazuki! He came over to talk to Heather and me, because we were the only two he knew. He'd seen the sign Heather put up in YKK asking for bear stickers back when she was collecting them, so he'd saved up 17 for her!! She said she didn't need them anymore so he gave them to me! He's SO nice!! Then we talked to him for a bit.

So I'd figured we'd be taking the train to Sakae, where the saru cafe is and I was all siked because Sakae is on my pass. But it turned out that sensei was going to take us in her car!! Woohoo!

It was a fun ride over. Natalia sat up front with sensei because her leg was still bothering her and then Heather, Dylan, and I sat in the back seat, mooching off of Natalia's wifi (with her permission of course!).

When we got to Sakae, sensei parked her car in a parking garage. It was awesome! She drove her car into a little area and then it moved her car up as if it was on a Ferris wheel!

Then we walked through Sakae to the cafe. I talked with sensei about her trip to New York she's planning this summer and asked when she was going to see if it would be when I was there.

I like that building with the needle thing a lot. I told sensei, and she said it's some sort of koen, I forgot the name that she said.

 After only about ten minutes walking, we reached the saru cafe!! Saru means "monkey" in Japanese. Kondo sensei loves monkeys, which is why we invited her here. She's always bringing her three stuffed monkeys (all with names) to class to use to demonstrate various things and her car had a another stuffed monkey in it, as well as a monkey seat pillow!!

The entrance

The sign has a cute monkey reading a book! And I just realized Dylan looks just like the monkey, haha!

There was even a cute welcome mat!

The window of the cafe, which is on the second floor

Me with the menu!

And Kondo sensei took all of us with the cafe behind us! Me, Heather, Natalia, Dylan

Sign telling you to walk up the stairs

Outside the door into the cafe

Inside the cafe

Are you happy...?

There was a lot of confusion with the seats because the staff wouldn't let us drag seats around to the side of the table so we could fit all six of us because they insisted that would get in the way of the waiters and waitresses. Rawr. And Kondo sensei was too scared to fight back for us. It took like thirty minutes, but finally we got them to let us turn the tables around and put them together, so we all could fit.
And I got the pink chair!

Cute saru napkins!

Engrish

More Engrish on the menu

There were four options for the lunch special, the "S", the "A", the "R", and the "U". Once I saw you could get waffles, I knew that was what I was getting. I LOOOOVVVEEEEE breakfast! And plus, the rest of the options looked gross anyway. They were all various types of meat, except "U", which was a pizza. Normally I like pizza, but this pizza came covered in mayo... Ummm...
So we all ended up getting "A", which was the waffles! And it came with a drink, so I got ginger ale, because the drink menu was really limited.
Then Tina arrived! She said she had her part time job after this and she'd eat there, so she didn't want to get a lunch special. So Kondo sensei showed her the regular menu, which I hadn't realized existed! It had a huge selection of food and drinks! Tina just got a chocolate banana milkshake, but it was a hella expensive milkshake! ￥650!!

Then our food came!

They put a jar of real maple syrup on the table and I immediately groaned. I hate real maple syrup. Heather agreed with me that the fake stuff is better. So I told Kondo sensei all about the beautiful creation that is Hungry Jack syrup and showed her a picture and told her to try it in New York, haha.
But then I told her how my host family thought it wasn't sweet, so who knows, she might not like it.

 

Well guess what? The Japanese real maple syrup is not the same as American. That stuff was pretty durn tasty! It was super sweet and delicious and I pretty much made a pool with it. Afterwards Kondo sensei picked up the jar and exclaimed that we all used so much of it! I tried to hide my plate...

After Tina left to go to work and Dylan left to go to his Friday afternoon class (the culture one I dropped way back in the second week of class), we took a group photo!

The one on my camera

Because we took it with the light behind us, we took another the other way on sensei's camera.

 

And then, just as we were about to leave, Dylan came back! He hadn't been able to find the nearest subway station, because believe it or not, this was his first time in Sakae!!! We were all incredulous. He said he'd never had anyone to go with, and he hadn't wanted to go alone. I told him I would have gone with him! But I'm pretty sure he was happier sitting in his room playing video games.

So we took another picture with him this time.

And then Kondo sensei payed the bill for all of us!! I couldn't believe it! That was a lot of money, and we hadn't expected her to do that at all! Tina's was ￥650 and then each of our lunch specials were ￥800. Geez!
Then we headed back to sensei's car and she drove us back. One the way back, Dylan entertained us with the story of how he met his current girlfriend and we all wondered what he'd going to look like when he shaves his beard next week (he'd had it for a year now and that's as long as he planned on keeping it). Then Heather and I sang Japanese songs.

Back on campus, Dylan ran to class and we all said goodbye to each other. 

I rode the subway to Nagoya station where I got on the wifi to call my mom, because I'd told her I'd be free to call today to talk about where we're going to go when she and Bridget come. While I was talking to her, Keniichiro walked by and saw me sitting on the floor on the phone and came over to talk to me! I was so shocked we ran into each other, and glad he happened to notice me!! I guess I don't really blend in too well. I felt bad because he'd emailed me a week ago to go out for dinner sometime, and I hadn't had time to reply.
This week was really rough! Definitely the hardest week I've had course wise. The last week is always the hardest it seems, because so many things are due at once! Although, the hardest week here is like one of my easier weeks back at Tech. It can't even compare to the hell weeks I endure at Tech.
Crap, I am so scared for next semester!! I just want to stay in Japaaaaannnnnn...

Anyway we planned to hang out some time when I am free again. Then I finished talking to my mom and went to buy my ticket for the 5th and 6th of May.
At school this morning, I'd looked up where exactly Mizunami station is and saw Google Maps told me it was four hours away!!! And it cost $140 to get there one way! It seemed weird since I knew when I visited Ayuko in Gifu, it only took 8 minutes to get there, but I wasn't sure how big Gifu ken really is. I was totally freaking out. But then I'd accepted the fact that it would cost a lot, and was prepared now to pay the $140. So I went and withdrew enough for a ticket there and back (which I'd get later) and stood in the line, which wasn't as long as I expected it to be, considering it's Golden Week.

When I got up to the counter, I told the guy I wanted a ticket to Mizunami station in Gifu ken. And he rang it up for me. I saw 970 and assumed it was $97. So I was like, sweet I got a Golden Week discount. And I was reaching into my wallet when I realized it was only ￥970!! Whaaaaat?? I asked the guy a bunch of times if it was Gifu ken's Mizunami station and he told me it was and pulled out a map so I could see. Holy crap! I kind of hugged the counter and was all like "yokatta!" and he was all like "daijoubu?", haha. Yes, everything was totally daijoubu!
I also asked if he thought I'd be able to sit on the train and he told me probably not since it's Golden Week and all. Ah, that's what I figured. Oh well! It's only 50 minutes.

Also, at Nagoya station, I turned my streetpass on and guess what??? I finally got that annoying little prefecture that I was missing in the upper half of Japan! Woohoo for getting Toyama!

My mii has a cap and goggles since I went swimming Wednesday! Anyway, only 5 prefectures left now! I hope I can get them before I leave!

I got home at 6:30, which was thrity minutes before dinner, so I figured I was good. But when I walked in, everyone had already sat down to eat without me!! What?? Couldn't they have waited until 7, which is when we usually eat?

After dinner, I packed for Handa tomorrow. Then, while Yuko went to Seiyu, I asked Ken to fix the wifi for me, so he did and now it works awesomely!! Time to watch Free! :D