07.26-29.11 DONE--

--with classes, that is. Yep. I am completely and totally done with my semester here! That means I have two weeks of vacation until I have to go back to reality... Although, some might argue that I have been on vacation since April, but that's not true. I've been studying hard, really!

...okay, moving on.

07.26 (火）

Tuesday was an awesome day. At 9:00 AM I went to my last Indian Dance class in order to prepare for our final performance. We managed to squeeze in one last rehearsal before we had to get dressed for the show. We put on special make up and wore sari specifically for the performance, and even though only a handful of people came, we really went all out for the occasion. Although we made some small mistakes, overall everyone did their best and we were really proud of how it turned out. (If you want to see what we did, you can find videos on my facebook!) Afterwards, everyone went out to eat at a nearby Indian restaurant to celebrate. Of course, it was delicious!

I don't think I did much else for the rest of the day because I was tired from all of the activity. I originally planned to take a nap in my room, but this translated into me spending hours on the internet uploading pictures and videos. Later on, I did manage to take a nap, only to get up and start writing my final paper for my Japanese class. In the evening I took a break to take a walk with Hana chan around Nara. We talked about various things and it it gave me an excuse to procrastinate.

07.27（水） 

I slept in late, which I hadn't planned on doing originally. As soon as I woke up I went to work to try and finish my Japanese report. It took me about three hours to translate everything from English into Japanese, and then I met Maki on campus so we could go over it together. Although there was a lot of editing to be done, I understood all of Maki's corrections and she complimented me on my Japanese. Once I finished talking with Maki, I went to soccer practice, but because only four people showed up we ended earlier than usual. From there I went straight back to my room to finish my paper along with the homework that I had forgotten about. By the time I finally finished everything I was absolutely exhausted, but because I had promised Hana chan we would meet, I went over to her place to watch some Korean dramas. I think both of us were pretty tired though because we ended up falling asleep in the middle of the show!

07.28 (木）

Thursday was probably the best day I had all week, with the number one reason being that it was my last day of classes here in Japan. Bea and I went to Japanese together and sensei actually decided to teach the class something, but I could tell that no one was really paying attention. At the end of our time together we turned in our reports and our homework-- and that was it! Afterwards, Bea and I went to lunch and we met Hana chan for a brief time. Bea had to go to class once lunch was over, but we met up again at 3 PM so we could go to karaoke. The two of us sang karaoke for three hours and had a blast doing it. I don't know what I will do when I go back to the US and can't go to karaoke! Once we finished singing, Tokunaga san and his wife from church picked me up in order to take me out for dinner since I will be leaving Japan soon. :'( Yoonkyung and Hana chan came along (of course), and Seong Hi was supposed to come, but couldn't. Before we were about to drive away from Nara Station, we caught sight of Rina. I immediately asked her to come along since the two of us won't be able to hang out after this weekend, and she joined us for dinner at a yakiniku restaurant. It was SO GOOD. Mouth-wateringly good. Basically, I was reminded of why I could never be a vegetarian...   

Once we all stuffed ourselves with meat and spicy goodness, Tokunaga san dropped us off at Nara Station. Then, us four girls walked to Rina's house to spend some time together. We ate ice cream, drank tea, and talked nonsense until nearly 2 AM. In short, it was a perfect day. <3

07.29 (金）

I woke up groggily (and begrudgingly) to go to the gym with Yoonkyung. I haven't been going to Konami lately, but I think it's okay since I have been working hard. Anyway, we went together, although we went a lot later than I had originally planned, and afterwards the two of us met Hana chan for lunch at Ichizoku. Even more exciting than the delicious food was the fact that I got my hair cut. I have been wanting to cut my hair ever since it got long enough to put in a ponytail, and today I finally got the chance to. A hair cut only cost me 2,000 yen (around $20), and I think it turned out really nice!

  

The three of us went our separate ways after that, but we promised to meet around 4 PM along with Bea and Rina in order to go take purikura together and maybe get something to eat. However, it turned out that both Hana chan and Yoonkyung overslept, so I ended up going out with only Bea and Rina. In the end though, I think it was for the best because I got to spend quality time with Bea and Rina. The three of us took some super cute purikura together, and then we ate at a cafe that I had never been to. In a spur of the moment decision I thought it would be a good idea to make apple muffins, so we went back to the dorm and I made them for everybody. Of course, we ended up talking afterwards until around 1 AM. (This seems to be a common theme between me and my friends-- these late night talks, that is.) We actually got to talk about some interesting and serious topics, including differences between our three cultures. I'm so glad that I met Rina because she has become a really close friend, which are hard to make among the Japanese since they are usually fairly reserved. Rina is different from normal Japanese girls though, which I think is why we get along so well.

Here's to celebrating differences <3

07.23-25.11 High Stress Level

What did I do this weekend that was interesting? Oh yeah-- nothing.

Okay, okay, that's an exaggeration. I at least went to a cool cafe with Yoonkyung, but the rest of my weekend was devoted to studying for my Japanese test (OF DEATH). On Saturday I skipped soccer practice and ESS so I could study. Luckily, Yoonkyung saved me before I went insane by inviting me to an interesting cafe just when I needed a break. The small restaurant was on the street behind my dorm. It was basically built into the owner's house so it felt more like you were going over to a friend's for lunch than if you were going to a formal restaurant. The atmosphere was extremely relaxed, which was both surprising and refreshing. Because Yoonkyung had gone to the place a week before, the owner remembered her and stroke up casual conversation. We also talked to the other customers there, who seemed to be regulars. Everyone taught us how to play traditional Japanese games and we even got to try our hand at the Japanese style of painting. We only ordered coffee and dessert, but were given free food, great conversation, and many laughs. It's definitely a place that I'll be going to again soon!

Yuu teaching Yoonkyung how to play the game

Free food!

He was adorable <3

Yoonkyung's painting!

My painting

The owner's handiwork

After we were done eating and socializing it was time for me to go back to work. I spent the rest of the evening studying in Yoonkyung's dorm while Yoonkyung went off to her part-time job. I sat in the first floor lounge and a nice girl shared some orange slices with me just as I was starting to get hungry. Overall, I felt like I was productive.

Sunday was also fairly productive. Of course, I went to church with Hana chan and Yoonkyung in the morning. The message was just what I needed to hear, and to my surprise I understood everything that was said (how's that for progress?). We got out of church around 5 PM, so Yoonkyung and I went to Tully's for coffee and I also got to buy some new ear phones for my ipod at Vivre. When Hana chan was done with her part-time job, we all met up again and went to Paket to get some shopping done. I'm really glad I went because I was completely out of food! Later in the evening, I went over to Yoonkyung and Hana chan's dorm again so I could study. (I am completely incapable of studying in my room since I get distracted by the internet.) This time, I sat in Yoonkyung's room and looked over my notes while we watched Transformers. And yes, I was able to study that way! Surprising, I know, but I'm one of those people who needs background noise in order to focus. Weird, yes.

Today (Monday), I hit my stress limit. I went to take my Japanese test and found out that I was prepared for about 2/3 of it. The other third was fill in the blank, which I wasn't expecting at all. Basically, we had to make example sentences and everything looked the same to me so I'm sure I failed that part. Oh well. I did my best and what's done is done! From there I went to eat lunch and then Bea, Yoonkyung, and I went to our last Budou class. I turned in my report and we filled out class evaluations. We also got to watch our final kendo performance (which we presented last week). I'm proud to say that it looked really good! I'm hoping that I can get a copy of the video from sensei so I can take it back to America with me :) After that I had my last gym class. Again, we filled out class evaluations. It was pretty boring. I'm glad that class is finished!

Once all of my classes were done, Bea and I made preparations to go to Osaka in order to attend Tenjin matsuri. But first we went to Vivre so I could get some help putting on my yukata. We went to the same place we had bought our yukata and the girls who worked there helped me put it on. It looked absolutely stunning! I was extremely pleased. When I was dressed (Bea put her yukata on by herself), we made our way to Osaka, which was crowded with people (even more so than when we went to Gion matsuri in Kyoto.) We visited the major temple where the festival was being held and got to see some of the procession. Of course, we got to see (and eat) more than our fair share of street food, my favorite. Around 7 PM the fireworks started so Bea and I tried to find a good place to watch them. We ended up in a small place by the riverbed where we could see the fireworks and the festival boats as they went up and down the river. While we were there, we bumped into some guys, one of whom was from Hockessin, Delaware. Small world, right? It started to get late, so Bea and I made our way back to the train station. We got to see more of the festival procession on the way, which was also nice. By the time we got back to Nara though it was almost midnight-- wow!

In the end it turned out to be a fun day, but the pressure of having final classes and navigating my way through one of the biggest festivals in Japan was still stressful. Also, I am getting up early tomorrow to go prepare for my Indian Dance performance (the day has finally come!!). Yes, I'm still enjoying myself, but I think I'll be relieved when this week is over. Then I can relax and enjoy the rest of my time here. Until then!

chocolate covered banana!

Back in Nara with Sentokun, Nara's mascot!

07.19-22.11 何々

It's hard to believe that my second to last week of classes is already over. Next week I will have the biggest Japanese test of my life, participate in an Indian Dance performance, and turn in two papers (written in Japanese, of course.) It will be the last week that I will see most of my classmates, and it will start the countdown to the day I return to the United States-- August 17th. In short, this is the beginning of the end. I'm not trying to sound morbid. I'm really excited to be going home, but... I'm not sure when I will return to the Japan. I've sad it before and I'll say it again: I am in love with this country. It will be really strange going back to my normal life.

07.19 (火）

I woke up to the sound of wind. But not any normal wind, typhoon wind. Speaking of which, can anyone explain to me exactly what a typhoon is and why it's something I should worry about? Honestly, I've seen worse wind storms in North Carolina. Just saying. Anyway, I went to my Indian Dance class Tuesday morning. We got to wear these cool anklets with bells on them as we practiced our routine for the last time. Our final performance is next week! I'm nowhere near prepared, but it's do or die at this point. Everyone seems excited for it though. I hope a lot of people come! From Indian Dance class I went to lunch with Yoonkyung and Rina. Then I had to go back to my room to change and prepare for my final presentation in Beginner's Japanese. I presented my project and I think I did really well. I'm proud of how much my Japanese has improved since I first came to Japan. My presentation seemed to reflect this so I was satisfied. Once class was over I returned to my room to relax, which means I did nothing the rest of the evening except for surf the internet. 



Takeda sensei and I after my presentation

07.20（水） 

Wednesday morning I got to sleep in late. It has been increasingly more difficult for me to get up early, which I take is a sign that I've become accustomed to life here. At noon, Yoonkyung and I met to go to Konami. I hadn't been to the gym in about a week and a half so it felt nice to exercise again! Once we finished, the two of us went to Kame for lunch. My appetite has returned recently so I was able to eat everything on my plate (much to my relief.) From there, the two of us went to Yoonkyung's office to print fliers for Indo Dance. We walked around campus to hand some out and post them on a few message boards. Then, we met up with Rina and Hana chan to go shopping at Nara Family. Before going to the mall (also in order to buy some things in preparation for Indo Dance) we couldn't resist goofing off in Yoonkyung's office.



You know you love us :)



Even though we went to the mall, we couldn't find everything we needed in time. Yoonkyung and I left Hana chan and Rina so we wouldn't be late to church. Church went well, although I found myself nodding off in the middle of the sermon (whoops). Afterwards, Tokunaga san took Yoonkyung and I out to dinner at a fairly expensive Tonkatsu restaurant. Again, I was able to eat (almost) everything, but Yoonkyung and I felt bad because Tokunaga paid for us (as always). The two of us decided we would buy him a present in order to say thank you, but that would have to wait until the following day because we didn't get back until around 11 PM! (We spent about an hour driving around looking for the restaurant. Oh well.)

07.20 (木）

Thursday morning I went to my Japanese class. Technically, it was the last class because next week all we have to do is turn in our paper and homework. Bea, Yoonkyung, Hana chan and I ended up eating lunch together and then Yoonkyung and I set out for Vivre to find a present for Tokunaga san. We ended up buying him a Marine Corps. shirt that had "North Carolina" written on it. Yoonkyung thought it would be nice to give him something that would remind him of me since I will be leaving soon. The shirt was so nice that I ended up buying another one for myself (in honor of my older brother who is currently training to become a Marine Corps. officer). I find it interesting that there were so many United States' military shirts in the store. They had Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Army t-shirts-- all American. What reason does Japan have to like our military so much, I wonder? In any case, I was happy with the gift. Tokunaga san is planning on having a "goodbye" party for me soon so I need to pay him back somehow! When Yoonkyung and I were finished shopping I had to return to change clothes and go to my volleyball class. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it was the last one. I'm also happy to say that my volleyball skills have greatly improved since the beginning of the semester. In fact, all of my classmates seemed to have improved because our final games were really entertaining. If only UNCG's activity classes were as fun as my volleyball class here was!

After volleyball, Yoonkyung invited me to go to Konami. I didn't have any reason to say no so the two of us went and swam in the pool for about an hour. After that, Yoonkyung asked me to go to her dorm so we could eat dinner together along with Hana chan. She made Korean ramen for us (the best kind of ramen there is) and we relaxed until 8 PM, which is when I decided I should probably start studying for my test that I have next week. Yoonkyung and I spent the rest of the evening in her office. I wrote one of my two papers and studied for my Japanese test, and she wrote up a schedule for when we go to Korea (we're both very excited about it!).

07.21 (金）

Friday at last! Actually, this week went by faster than I thought it would, probably because of the three-day weekend. In any case, because we had Monday off, we had Monday classes today instead of Friday classes. As a result, I had my Japanese class first. Bea and I ate lunch afterwards and got to talk about our plans for Tokyo. (I am going to Tokyo shortly after I return from Korea. Super excited about that, too!) We need to buy our bus ticket and book a place to stay, so we'll be discussing that in more detail soon. Our conversation was cut short because I had to go with Yoonkyung to purchase a return permit for when we go to Korea. (We didn't have Budou today so it was the perfect time to go.) Basically, the return permit is a document that allows me to go to Korea and then return directly to Japan without any problems. All of this passport, via, go here, go there nonsense gives me a headache, but the important thing is that I should have no trouble with customs when I return from Korea. 3,000 yen later I had purchased the permit and we returned to NWU. I quickly changed clothes and went to my gym class with Bea. We played badmitton again, and next week will be our last class (hooray!). Tonight will pretty much be the same as last night. I'm putting my nose to the grind and studying for this monster test. According to Bea, the one she took last semester was difficult so I know I've got my work cut out for me. Prayers appreciated! 

07.16-18.11 海の日

Thank God for this three day weekend. I definitely needed an extra day to relax (although to be honest, I didn't rest much.)

On Saturday I got up early to go to soccer practice. We made a trip to the Nara University of Education to practice with the girl's club team there. Although I really enjoyed the change of pace, it was blazing hot (35 degrees C) and I managed to get a few new scrapes and bruises to add to my collection. Once I was thoroughly beat up from practice, I showered and met Yoonkyung so we could go to lunch together. Then the two of us went back to her office so we could search for a hotel for when we go to Korea. We finally found one that was affordable, but we weren't able to book it on her computer due to technical difficulties so we would have to wait until the next day. In addition to looking for a hotel, we made an advertisement for our Indian Dance class. Our final performance is the week after next and we are inviting as many people as possible to come and watch. It's both exciting and nerve racking. I hope everything goes well! Because I was thoroughly exhausted from soccer, I returned to my room to take a nap before going late to ESS with Bea. We went to McDonald's afterwards (like usual), but I left early to take care of some laundry that I had to do.

Sunday was also pretty busy. I went to church in the morning with Yoonkyung and Hana chan, but because I had soccer (again) in the afternoon, I left around 1:00. At 2:00 we had a practice game. I don't know how we always manage to practice in the hottest part of the day, but the heat was practically unbearable. My entire body felt like it was on fire. I definitely got a shade or two darker as a result. By the time we finished our game it was almost 5 PM. After quickly showering and getting changed, I met Yoonkyung as she got back from church so we could eat takoyaki together. She had to go to her part time job after that though so I went back to my room and did absolutely nothing for the rest of the night. Around 1 AM I went over to Yoonkyung's dorm to wait for the Women's World Cup to start. America was facing off against Japan in the championships so I didn't want to miss it. Around 2 AM, Rina joined us. At 3:45 AM the game started. It was an amazing game, and America dominated most of the time, but the score didn't reflect it. At the end of regulation,  the score was 1-1. In overtime, America scored first, but Japan came back in the last minutes to tie it yet again. America lost in PKs, so I wasn't very happy. I got back to my room at 7 AM, cranky and exhausted. Thank goodness we had the day off. There was no way I would have been able to go to class after that. Why did we have Monday off, you ask? Well, it's national Beach Day in Japan. No, really. They have an entire day dedicated to the appreciation of the beach. Maybe this explains why there is a beach episode in every anime. Anyway, I digress.

Three hours later I was up again because I had promised to meet my friend Kimi for karaoke. Rina and Bea came too, as did two of Kimi's Japanese friends. Together, we sang for a total of six hours. Needless to say, I was even more exhausted by the time we finished. The fact that it was raining only made my lethargy worse. As soon as I got back to my room I passsed out for a good three hours. Then it was time to edit and practice my final presentation for Beginner's Japanese, which I will be presenting in class tomorrow. I probably should have practiced more, but I am not too worried about it. I can't believe there are only two weeks of class left. That means it's crunch time, especially since I haven't studied that much in the last few weeks...

07.12-15.11 Summer Festivities

This week has been absolutely jampacked with fun outings and shenanigans. Prepare yourself for a long post, because this one covers the last four days!

07.12
On Tuesday morning I woke up (begrudingly) and went to my Indian Dance class. Although I initially felt sick in the morning, I was glad that I went to class because I had a lot of fun preparing with my group and practicing for our final performance, which is only two weeks away! After class, Yoonkyung, Rina, and I met up with Bea in the lunch room. We ate and talked for a good hour or so, and Yoonkyung and I taught Rina the violent Korean games that we learned at church on Sunday (fun times). Afterwards, I showered and went to my Beginner's Japanese class where we started to practice for our presentations that we will be giving next week (aah!). Once I was done with classes for the day, I made plans to meet up with Yoonkyung and Rina in the evening. The three of us went out for dinner at the okonomiyaki restaurant that I went to with Maki, Yoonkyung, and Inoue sensei a while back. Hana chan joined us and we made a mini party out of it.

After everyone was full, we decided to walk Hana chan to where she was doing her part time job (a house near Todaiji temple). We walked with her because it was really dark outside. It would have been scary if she had to go by herself! Once we were sure Hana chan had made it safely to her destination, Yoonkyung, Rina, and I walked around the Todaiji area and ended up at Nigatsuto temple, which has the best view of the city. We stared out at Nara, which was spectacular to see at night because of the city lights. The three of us stood on the balcony for a while and talked about this and that before making our way slowly back towards school. None of us were ready to go home though, so we ended up going to karaoke. What we thought would be an hour or two turned into five hours, but because Yoonkyung had a 50% off coupon, we only had to pay 600 yen (~$6) each-- a bargain! I got back to my room at 4 AM and happily went to bed.

07.13
I woke up around noon on Wednesday as a result of the previous night. At 2:40 PM I attended a first year American Sports History class that Inoue sensei teaches. He asked me to come and help his students read articles in English and then make comments on the contents since I am an American majoring in Sports Science. I really enjoyed the time I spent in the class and I was amazed that students could translate the English articles line-for-line into Japanese.

Immediately after the class ended (around 4:10) I went to Osaka by train to meet up with Yoonkyung and her friend Sarah, a Korean girl who was coming to Japan on vacation. Apparently, Sarah went to high school in the United States-- in North Carolina, no less. Next year she will be attending UNC, and she actually is good friends with a friend of mine who goes to church with me at UNCG. Small world, right? Because of this, Yoonkyung wanted to introduce us to each other. Together, the two of us showed Sarah some of the hot spots in Osaka, all of which I had been to before, but still enjoyed going to again. Osaka really is my favorite city of all time so it was nice just to be there and walk around. Plus, we got to see the beginning of Osaka's matsuri (festival).



We returned to Nara around 9 PM or so, at which point we showed Sarah our campus before going to the cheap Italian restaurant (Saizeria?) that everyone seems to love so much. From there we returned to Yoonkyung's room to talk for a bit. I'm really glad Sarah came to visit Japan because she seems to be a really nice girl-- and I'll hopefully get to hang out with her and her sister when they return to America next year!

07.14
Thursday morning I got up early to meet Yoonkyung and Sarah for breakfast and then the two of us decided to show her some of the more popular tourist sights in Nara. Of course, this meant introducing her to our resident deer, taking her to Todaiji, and touring Nara park. We went together on our bikes, which was nice, but it was still unbearably hot so I was sweating up a storm by the time I went to my Japanese class at 10:40. The class went smoothly though, and I got to meet Maki for lunch. She helped me run a few errands after we finished eating and she treated me to ice cream at Tully's because it was a hot day. Then, the two of us finally took purikura together!

The two of us parted ways when I had to go get ready for my volleyball class. Volleyball was the same as usual, but afterwards I got to meet up with Maki again so we could go to Kyoto together. We were going to Kyoto to partake in the Gion Matsuri, one of Japan's biggest summer fesitvals. The plan was to meet up with Yoonkyung and Sarah, then to find Masami, Bea, Melanie, and Raphael. This was a lot easier said then done though. For one thing, it was my first time attending such a big festival (the first time for Maki, too), and people were EVERYWHERE. It looked like all the major roads in Kyoto had been shut down, and people walked freely in the streets. We went to wait in front of a large department store for Yoonkyung and Sarah to arrive. They finally found us about twenty minutes after we arrived in Kyoto. Then we spent the next thirty minutes or so looking for everyone else, which included getting lost. When we finally found the other four people we were looking for, it was in the incredibly packed back streets of the city where vendors had set up shop. Of course, this meant there was a ton of delicious street food to be seen. I ate the equivalent of a pita accompanied by an Italian beer (naturally, they were delicious). However, while I enjoyed walking through the streets, they were so crowded that we could only walk in a single file line and we ended up getting separated more than once so we wasted a lot of time waiting and looking for eachother. In the end, we walked around the streets one time before everyone decided to go home. I definitely enjoyed the festival experience, I only wish that we had done more! I also wish that I had worn my yukata, but I didn't have enough time to change after class. Oh well. Next time, right?

When we got back to Nara, the night was still young so I joined Yoonkyung and Sarah at Mello Cafe for dessert and some much needed conversation. We stayed in the restaurant until they closed, then continued our conversation at Yoonkyung's dorm. I got to swap stories with Sarah about American life, as well as the difficulties of learning a new language. It's really great when you meet people who completely understand the situation you are in. It's unfortunate that Sarah only got to stay in Japan for three days, but we have plans to meet up when I go to Korea so I am pretty excited : )

07.15
Today was absolutely amazing. In fact, I would consider it one of the best days I have spent in Japan since I've been here. The only downside was that I skipped my Friday class, but it was totally and completely worth it.

At 9 AM, Bea and I met up with our friend Rina to go with her to her house in Osaka. Her mother welcomed us into her small home and proceeded to spoil us with the most amazing meal I have eaten in Japan so far. Everything was home made, and you could tell that she had put a lot of thought and effort into every dish (of which there were many). A restaurant couldn't have done it any better! I was really touched by her thoughtfulness. I only wish that I had brought her a proper gift to show my gratitude!

Before all of the food was brought out. The dishes kept coming!

When we were all more than full, we thanked Rina's mother profusely and then set out to take two different trains and a taxi in order to reach Rina's teacher's house. Rina's teacher is a professional kimono dresser. She teaches people how to wear kimono, does their hair and makeup, and then takes pictures for them. Apparently, this is a service that can cost up to $1,000, but she did it for us for FREE, all because Rina asked her to. Yeah, she was pretty awesome. Not many people can afford to wear kimono, so it would have been a treat even for a Japanese person, but it was especially nice for Bea and I since we are both foreigners. Once again I found myself humbled by the amazing kindness shown to me by total strangers. Also, I think the end result turned out pretty good-- don't you?

We took a million pictures, of course, but eventually it was time to return the kimono. We changed back into our normal clothes before Rina's teacher took us to her sister's house. Her sister and her husband's house was built in the traditional Japanese style, so it was really neat to see. To my surprise, they had bought a TON of sushi so we could eat dinner with them. Together, the six of us talked while eating and drinking, and afterwards we were given dessert, coffee, and treats to take home. I don't think I have ever met such kind, generous people. They insisted that we visit again and asked for our home addresses so they could send us letters and postcards after we return to our own countries. Wow!

The day was long-- we started at 9 AM and didn't get back until around 9 PM, but I could tell that Rina had put a lot of thought into making the day special for Bea and I. In that, she, and everyone else involved definitely succeeded. One thing Japan does right is hospitality. I have never had a complete stranger try so incredibly hard to accomodate my every need. Of course, there is the universal common courtesy that people are expected to extend to guests, but the Japanese take it to a whole new level.

I'm in love with this country. I can't believe I am leaving next month!

07.09-11.11 Blur

Wow, I can't believe it has been three days since my last post. I feel like someone hit the fast-forward button on my life. I have no time for anything, yet I feel like I am hardly doing anything at all. More work is getting piled on to my plate, but at the same time there are even more opporunities to go out and do fun things with my friends. How can I be serious when everyone wants to go someplace or another? To tell the truth, I can't be, and for once in my life, I'm fine with that. When I go back to Greensboro, I'll be working hard in preparation for graduation next year. So for now, I'm going to enjoy myself to the fullest.

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Saturday was fairly normal. Even though it was unbearably hot, I went to soccer practice as usual. The heat made things difficult, but luckily I got to leave a little early because I had plans to meet Yoonkyung. She helped me cancel my membership at Konami for next month (since I will be traveling most of August I don't plan on going to the gym.) After we took care of that, we spent some time walking around and visited a few stores in the area. In the evening I had planned to go with Bea to ESS, but my soccer practice had made me extremely tired so I opted to stay home and do laundry instead. I'm glad I did, because I was out of pretty much everything!

Sunday was also more of the same. I went to church with Hana chan and Yoonkyung and I was able to get rid of the rest of my brownies, which everyone said were delicious. <3 After church was over and we were preparing to do worship practice, I got to learn some fun childhood games from Yoonkyung and Hana chan. They mostly involved hitting eachother (no, seriously), but they were interesting and challenging. Of course, I am a highly competitive person so I enjoyed them. Once church was over, I went back to my room to relax and take a nap. Both Yoonkyung and Hana chan had their part time jobs so I stayed in my room until the time I had promised to meet a girl from ESS at McDonald's. She had asked me to help her study for an English test that she will be taking next month. Her studying consisted of reading fairly difficult articles in English and then answering questions on them. The questions reminded me of something you might see on the SAT. I was surprised at how difficult they were, but together we were able to work through several articles and she told me that I had made things easy for her to understand. I was just happy that I could help!

I didn't do anything after I got back, and I actually ended up going to bed before midnight because I was so exhausted (a new record for me.) Today was the start of another week, but it turned out to be a pretty good day. I went to my Japanese class and actually understood everything we covered, ate lunch with Chan and Kana, who I hadn't spent time with in a while, attended Budou (did everything perfectly for once), and finished up by playing badmitton in gym class. It was my first time playing badmitton, but I think I did pretty well. From there I went back to my room and showered. Then I briefly met with Yoonkyung, who told me that she had a friend in Korea whose sister would be attending UNC in the fall-- and she knew one of my friends at UNCG because they had gone to high school together. It's a small world after all! Then, at 7:00, I met with Bea, Yoonkyung, Hana, Kana, and Tora (a girl who had interviewed me previously for a project she was doing) and we all went to Baby Face to eat dinner. I ate more than I have probably eaten in this entire past week, and I laughed and joked easily with everyone just like I would have in America. Honestly, I was so incredibly happy just to be out with friends. It was an amazing feeling. Afterwards we walked around Nara for a little while before stopping in to Mister Donuts for dessert. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, and I especially enjoyed myself.

These past three days have gone by in a blur. There are only three weeks of classes left (including this one!) and then I have two weeks of vacation before I start school at UNCG. Cheers~!