Setsubun!

This morning I was texting back and forth with my parents about the Super Bowl. I'd completely forgotten about it! Unfortunately I couldn't watch it or the Doritos commercial created by a Hokie because I had school. :( Lame. Who schedules school during the Super Bowl?? Oh right, Japan.

Breakfast was really good this morning! Obaasan had bought a shit ton of fruit yesterday and gave it to us, so we had orange slices, bunny apples, and a half a banana along with toast and marmalade. I was a happy camper! :)

I decided to finally dump some of the water out of my poor drowning bonsai.

I went outside and dumped it in the grass and Yuko let me leave the bonsai outside while I went to school today! :) So it got some fresh air and sunlight (even though it was super cloudy all day).

As I was walking to school from the station, I saw Emma so I ran to catch up to her and asked about her weekend. She told me yesterday she'd gone to see a Setsubun demonstration at Osu Kannon temple and they threw beans! But she didn't catch any. I told her about the mochi catching I did and she thought that sounded way cooler lol.

Class was meh. I had a test second period that was a sinch. I finished in like five minutes lol.

This girl, Natalia (the one who was supposed to go to the onsen with me but got sick) brought us all these muffin things she made. They were really good!

Then we got out for lunch ten minutes early! So I went to Dagane and quickly downed some food.

(Mmmm so good!)

Then I went to the computer lab because I wanted to send some emails.

Next, I had calligraphy. Ugh, calligraphy turns out to be kinda boring. Like we sit there for an hour and a half and write the same freaking word over and over and over. Today we wrote "shiba inu" in katakana and mine got progressively worse and worse.

I wished I was in programming class instead. Jk, no I didn't. Not even for a second!

I took an artsy photo though! Lol.

Then was sadou! Yayyyy!! Tea ceremony is definitely my favorite class. We went around and did introductions. We had to say something we liked about Japan, so I said I liked temples and shrines and talked about visiting Atsuta Shrine. 

Then we did the same thing we did last week, but we had different wagashi.

It was really cute wagashi. I'm so mad I didn't get to take a picture because sensei was watching what we did today and was watching me closely since I was one of the first to go. :(

But I googled wagashi and found one like it! It's called namagashi. And sometimes kuri (grass) namagashi because it looks like grass. Ours looked like this one except it was white with little black dots (so it looked gray) and instead of the kuri on top, it had a little white and pink flower thing made of the namagashi. Inside was anko, just like the ones last week! It was sooo good!

After class, I went home. When I got home, I checked on my bonsai. Dumping the water out must have done it some good, because now it has ten full flowers!! Double what it had yesterday! So of course I subjected it to another photo shoot lol.

I'm such a good mother, guys. Raising plants is the first step to raising humans ya know.

I went online to see how often I have to water it and the website was all like "it's difficult to know for sure. It takes most people three years to figure it out." I was like are you fucking kidding me?

But then it said to just look when the top quarter inch of the mulch stuff is dry and that's when you need to water it. But you need to check every day because both overwatering and underwatering cause illness in the plant. Ugh, taihen desu ne!

Yuko came home and then I sent a few more emails until Miya and Ken got home a little after 7. I asked Yuko about Setsubun because I knew it was today, and it turned out we were going to celebrate it, yay!

So for dinner, we had long sushi rolls! Emma had told me that morning that on Setsubun you eat those long sushi rolls that are sold in konbini, without cutting them!

But we made our own. :)

(The table all set up)

(Fillings. I really liked the hot pink one!)

We all went around and made our rolls. I went last. Ken took lots of pictures of me making my roll and rolling it up!

(My roll)

(All rolled up!)

(Making my roll)

(All done!)

Then we all had to face a certain way and eat them in one sitting without speaking while we were eating, haha.

It was hard! Ken took lots of funny pictures of us with the rolls in our mouths. 

(Facing the direction we had to face)

When we were finished eating them, we used the extra seaweed to make mini handrolls.

So ever since I was in America, I've heard people complain about natto and how gross it is. Many Japanese people don't like it either. So of course I've been wanting to try it. So when I saw natto on the table, I made a grab for it. Yuko and Ken freaked out and made me eat just a bean first, since most foreigners hate it and they didn't want to waste it. 

Yuko went and got a tissue in case I needed to spit it out haha. Everyone was so amazed when I chewed it and swallowed it lol. And then when I decided to have a bit more. Yuko said the fact that I thought the umeboshi was too sour, but I ate the natto was "new" because usually with foreigners it's the other way around!

Yuko asked if I liked it and I said I didn't like it, but I didn't hate it lol. It definitely tasted weird and kind of rotten, but it wasn't gross. The gross part was how it looked like the beans were held together by snot!

(OMG I'm eating natto guys!)

While we were eating dinner, a postman came to the door with mail for me! I got my ATM card for the Bank of Nagoya and A PACKAGE FROM MY MOM!! My mom had written four notes on all sides of the box, one for each of us. Yuko, Ken, and Miya all read their notes and mine out loud. They were all really excited to have been included. I was surprised Ken was so good at reading English since a lot of the time Yuko has to translate what I say for him (he always gets all quiet and sulky when she does and says she's so good at English and she thinks it's funny. Lol it's cute)

Yuko and Ken also got a package today from their previous host student so they opened that first. She sent hot chocolate mix, chocolate marshmallow Santas (I love those things!), and ranch dressing and hot sauce for Ken because Ken loves Ranch. She sent a letter in both English and Japanese too. Miya read the Japanese outloud.

Then I got to open Mom's package. She sent so much!! I love her! And she included all these little sticky notes that everyone tried to read but had trouble reading her handwriting so I had to read it for them haha. Miyabi loved how my mom had written her name on things!

Mom sent all my favorite stuff like pink cake mix and pink icing and golden Mega Stuffed Oreos and pancake batter and peanut butter and jelly and raisin bread and Dove chocolate hearts and rainbow marshmallows and ughhhh I want to eat it all!!

(Miya and me with the bounty!)

And then we celebrated the next part of Setsubun! Where you throw beans! Miyabi explained to me in Japanese the reason you throw beans is because oni doesn't like beans. Oni is the monster. So Ken put on a mask that came with the peanuts Yuko bought and he was the onii. Then Miya and I each got a bag of peanuts and chased Ken around the house throwing peanuts (I guess we were using peanuts instead of beans) at him. Only in Japan, guys. 

I was literally pelting him with peanuts and it was okay because I was supposed to. Like what the heck haha.

We had to shout "Oni wa soto!" (aka "demons out!") and "Fuku wa uchi" (aka "luck come in the house"). It was fun! Yuko took pictures of us. Then Ken fought back a little, throwing peanuts back at us. When we were done the floor was covered in peanuts!

Then we had to eat our age in peanuts. Since they came in pods of two, I just had 10 peanut shells, which equaled 20 peanuts. Yuko asked me if we could buy peanuts in shells like this in America and I said yes, that's what people eat at baseball games. She didn't know that, but Ken did! Then we cleaned up all the peanuts from the floor. Maple (the dog) helped us find any that were hidden.

(My 20 peanuts that I only ate 10 of)

Afterwards, I couldn't take it any longer, I cracked open the Oreos and offered them to everyone. They really liked them! I explained about all the different flavored America has (Japan only has original and not in the package like this). Although I told them about some years back when Japan got limited edition green tea and red bean Oreos and America didn't! But they hadn't known about that.

We all had two Oreos except Yuko. She said they were choto amai (a little too sweet for her). Lawlz. Then I doubt she'll like the cupcakes I make.

Then I did my homework and wrote this post. I saw them talking about the Super Bowl on tv. They kept showing shots of my lover (Peyton Manning) and saying things in Japanese about him. Idk what though.

So yeah, exciting day! I completely forgot about Setsubun this morning and expected today to be super boring, but what with that and the package from my mom, it was far from it!

FRUIT!!

Omg we has cereal for breakfast (and salad haha). I'm sooo happy. I was missing it so so much. And Yuko had this really yummy fruit granola with craisins and nuts and seeds in it. And she gave me soy milk to have with it! Ahh I was in Heaven.

And then because I was slow in getting ready this morning (I was tired because Miyabu shouted "Nani" at 5:30ish when Ken was leaving for work and that woke me up lol), I caught the super rapid train! Yayyy!!!

Not only is it faster, less people ride it so I don't get shoved. Don't get me wrong, Japanese people are super polite and I love that, but when it comes to getting on and off the train they will shove you as hard as they can to make sure they get on or off. I've almost fallen over on multiple occasions. Once I even grabbed onto the coat of the girl in front of me haha.

The only bad thing about this morning was that it was sprinkling so I had to wear my rain jacket on top of everything else. Because Japanese people don't wear rain jackets (idk why. Well, actually I saw a lady in a poncho today haha but ponchos are way less cool) they have to use their umbrella on their bike. I mean I've never tried it, but I'm pretty sure that takes some mad skills.

Check out what this chick was wearing at the station:

Gurl, it's too cold for that...

Man I had a good morning. I didn't even have to wait for the subway. It was just chilling there waiting for me when I came down the stairs.

I was talking to some of my friends yesterday about the Japanese programs at their schools and they were telling me how the classes were really intensive (5 days a week for some) and they all covered half a textbook per semester. So that's why everyone is so much better than I am! I thought we were on the same level since we've all studied the same amount of time, but they're all better because of how rigorous their school's Japanese program was. :/

Tech doesn't even have a Japanese major or minor.

Anyway, today was the day I'd been waiting for! The grand opening of the Lawson's on the corner on the way to Nanzan from Yagoto Nisseki Station!!

Yatta!

Such cute cakes:

While I was admiring the cakes, one of the employees came over to try to get me to get a point card. I wanted to ask how much that would cost (ikura desu ka) but I couldn't remember how!!

I kept saying "itsu" instead argh.

Finally I said "nan en?" and he understood what I was trying to say haha.

And he told me it was free! So I got one. I just had to put my address and phone number and bam I got this nifty point card!

And then I got a purezento (present) for getting the card. I got eggs!!

Then I went outside to the fruit stand. All the fruit was on sale for the grand opening. I decided to get 5 oranges (70 yen each) and a bunch of bananas. The banana bunch was 105 yen, which is what Rana paid for one banana at the Lawson on campus the other day!!! So I went in to pay and the guy rang it all up as 503 yen which was about what I was expecting. But then he said he was sorry and needed to recalculate. I was afraid he was going to charge me more, but he ended up lowering it to 387 yen! Totemo yasui!

I was so so so happy!!! I mean my senior year superlative wasn't "most likely to live off fruit" for nothing! I really missed this stuff.

As I walked to school I saw this guy in my Japanese class so I told him about the sale an told him to go an he thought it was awesome and said he would!

Then I went to the locker room to drop off all my food so I wouldn't have to lug it around all day.

So dark. Taylor and Jess caught a Japanese couple making out in here one time haha.

My locker is further into the darkness

Cute board though!

And this poster's hilarious!

Then I had to go to class. We have a woman as our sensei on Tuesdays and Fridays. She was really sweet. An guess what we learned?

Ikura desu ka and prices. Wow. If only is gone to Lawson's later in the day (but the guy told me the fruit would be all gone by 5).

I hate how in Japanese when you say big numbers, the words for million and thousand (man and sen) don't go at the commas like they do in English. It makes the numbers really hard to read.

Like 248,543,943 takes me like a minute plus to say outloud haha.

After Japanese class, I went to project class. This is the class everyone dropped out of because it's apparently a bunch of work and is only one credit. But I decided to do it since I'm in the easy Japanese class so I don't have too much work. And I'm glad I did!

There were only 3 people who enrolled in the 300 project work class and all girls. The woman who teaches 400 level communication is our teacher. After jikoshyoukai we brainstormed about the topic of our first project, which is presenting in Japanese about something we like about Japan. There are too many things I like! But I think I'm going to do matsuri because I can write a bunch about them since there's one every season!

Our second project is the one I'm really excited for! We get to interview Japanese students!! I'm really curious about the Japanese perception if America (after I watched this YouTube video about the American perception of Japan), so I hope I can do mine on that and ask Japanese people questions about what they think of America.

Then it was lunch time! I ate with Minju and Deanna. I like talking to them because they're in the 500 level of Japanese and so they almost always speak in Japanese. So I get good practice. 

I got this pink onigiri from Lawson's (because it was pink). It had weird seeds in it but it was good! And then I had my melon pan from yesterday and some of my fruit. I love my fruit :)

And I got this drink too. It was soooo good!

The brand was Kirin, which is the beer brand that my host dad and my real dad sometimes drink lol. And it means giraffe. :)

After lunch, I saw Esteban (all my other friends were done for the day and had left already) and talked to him a bit and then went to the computer lab because I didn't have class until 3:15. I found the webpage I discovered last semester about the Nagoya International Volleyball League and I might join. I tried to figure out how to get to my Nanzan email but couldn't lol. Too much kanji.

So then I talked to the CJS office about getting minutes on my phone and Matsui san gave me a map to the English speaking SoftBank in Sakae and wrote me a letter in Japanese about what I wanted that I can give them just in case. He's so nice!

So I think I'll go tomorrow maybe if my bonsai is small enough to carry around, because I wanted to explore Sakae and go to Oasis 21 anyway.

Then I went to go sit on the bench outside the CJS office to type this blog entry on my phone when I saw a Japanese student walk by wearing the sweatpants I want that say "Nanzan" on the butt. I jumped up and was like "sumimasen!" and asked him where he bought the pants. He tried speaking English with me. His English wasn't too great but I understood what he was saying. He told me the ones he was wearing were only sold for three days last year during some fighting club's tournament. :(

I've seen them in other colors though, so maybe I can still get a pair!

Inside the CJS building:

(Inside the glass area on the first floor is the CJS office)

Then this guy I know who's studying abroad too came to sit by me so I asked him if he wanted to go into the Japan Plaza (where you're not allowed to speak English or any other language that isn't Japanese) with me because I wanted to go in. He did. They were really nice in there and it wasn't as hard to speak as I thought it would be!

Finally, it was time for class. I dropped Art and Culture II yesterday to make room for Japanese Folklore, which I'd rather take. I'm just waiting to hear back from Tech to see if I'll get credit there for it. But I can't take then both or I'll have too many credits at Nanzan. 

Which is a pity because only 4 people were enrolled in it. Only 7 people showed up today and the professor said he'd been expecting around 15 people to take it.

Although it's mainly a history class and in only really interested in 4 of the lectures (3 of which are at the end of the semester) and the professor was pretty boring, it was fun because he passed around books of art, history books, and a manga for us all to look through. He also showed some VCRs. One was about something Bridget will like:

It was about how Japanese people used to have topknots before they cut them off. But the emperors had huge ones like three feet tall haha!

At the beginning of class he asked if anyone knew anything about the modernization of Japan. I nodded and so he asked me to write down what I knew and wrote a 1, 2, and a 3 and a blank for my name.

So I wrote:

1. Matthew Perry came to Japan and opened its doors to the rest of the world, starting trade with other countries.

2. Many American movies were shown during the time (Walt Disney movies), which led to the rise of anime in Japan.

Basically stuff I learned back in high school when I did a report on Japan and manga/anime in WWII.

And he made me read it to the class and then kept the paper with my name on it. I bet I'd get extra credit if I were staying in the class!

We talked a lot about various world fairs too. Man, I wish world fairs still happened!

Anyway I'm okay with dropping the class because I don't think I can sit for 2 hours and 15 minutes every Friday. I was dark when we got out!

At our break 40 min before the end of class:

(The Nagoya TV tower)

And then right when class let out:

Okay now time for a SUPER embarrassing story. You ready, guys?

So after class let out, I went to building H to the get my food from my locker. But when I got there the building was locked! I was like nooo, my fruit. So I sat there rattling the door, like maybe it would unlock or something when this older dude came by. He told me it was already closed. I told him I left food in my locker, so he suggested I go to the CJS building to see if someone there would have the key.

So I did. The main window was closed, but Matsui san and another lady were still inside. So I asked Matsui to help. I told him I had eggs in there that would go bad! He called someone to ask if they could let me in. While he was on the phone, though, he asked another lady to help me. Then she called someone. 

When she got off the phone, she came over all apologetic and told me that the building was closed because there was a big entrance exam test for high schoolers there tomorrow. I heard Matsui san get off the phone and ask her what happened, so I waited a bit to see if maybe he had heard something different, but when he didn't come out, I just left.

As I walked to the train station I was really, really sad I didn't have my fruit. I was so excited about it this morning and now I wouldn't get it until Monday. And my eggs would be bad and the bananas would be brown and everything would be ruined. So I kind of started crying haha. 

Like I'd been through way harder shit (aka the whole airport fiasco) and hadn't shed a tear and then I suddenly lose my fruit and I'm on the verge of a break down (I didn't completely break down, don't worry. I'm not that insane).

So I was walking down that long ass hill when I hear a guy calling my name. I figured it was one of my friends and I really didn't want to talk to them, but it was Matsui san literally sprinting towards me.

I didn't want him to see I was crying so I faked a cough attack lol (since he knew I was sick). Panting, he told me that it turns out I could go to my locker if he accompanied me! So we walked back together and when we got back to the office he gave me green tea cough drop! Holy crap I felt bad. Although my fake cough attack had resulted in real coughing so I was grateful.

Anyway, the other lady who had called ended up going with me to the locker room. Her name was Kandou san. She was really nice and chatted with me in Japanese on the way over. Then some ladies let us in to H and everyone waited while I got my food.

I said so many arigatou gozaimashitas!

So yeah I walked back to the station happy again. I'm kind of embarrassed I overreacted like that, but it was probably a buildup of all the stress I've been under. It's really hard when you suddenly can't communicate anymore, especially if you're someone who likes talking as much as I do. :/

So I got home at 7:30! Ugh so late, but thankfully only Miyabi and Ken had started eating and just barely. I gave everyone the eggs and Ken said "good job Keito" haha.

Miyabi asked me in English, with the help of Yuko, what I wanted for dinner tomorrow night. I suggested takoyaki because Taylor said I should learn how to make it while I'm here. So that's what we're having!

I also asked everyone the joke some guys told me at school today.

Why don't people in Hawaii need dentists?

(Hint: the answer is in Japanese)

And they though it was hilarious! Yuko asked it to Miyabi in Japanese and Miyabi thought it was funny too! :)

After dinner we watched TV. We saw this awesome performance by these shadow puppet artists. They made really difficult shadow puppets! Then the hosts kissed behind the screen (including 2 guys haha). And then they had this intense jump roper on. It was so cool! He did 14 backflip jump ropes in 30 seconds. And he jump roped with his butt while sitting on the ground haha.

Then we watched some of Tales of Earthsea, which is a Studio Ghibli movie I've been wanting to see. But it was all in Japanese. :/

You know, my friends and I have noticed that a lot of Japanese people have TVs in their cars by the steering wheel! This would never fly in America. The people driving the cars only watch them at red lights. They must be hard to ignore, though!

So many interesting things in Japan!

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