Is It Possible That All This Magic Went Unnoticed?

So, in Japan, it is customary when writing a traditional letter or communication to make some introductory reference to the weather. We were given some sample phrases this past Saturday when we had class (yes, Saturday class, it was terrible), such as "during this time of oppressive heat" or "it has entered the unpleasant rainy season". So let me say, in this time of extremely confusing weather patterns in which one day it is rainy, windy, and cold and the next searing hot with sunshine the caliber of which can burn you in about 20 minutes flat (dang ozone hole), I apologize for letting a week go by once again before I have written. But here I am anyway... :D

It's been a busy week. I had a character test this past Thursday and I have another next week, in addition to an in class presentation. Outside of class I've tried to maintain a certain level of relaxation, hehe. This past Sunday I went to a "matsuri" or festival dedicated to boats called the "Mifune Matsuri". The name means "three boats", but there were actually quite a lot. It took place at the mountainous area near I-House called Arashiyama, where one is essentially in the foothills near a large river. It's far and away the most beautiful place I've been so far. I bike down on my own every so often just to stare at it. The road leading down to Arashiyama is filled with traditional shops and eateries, all in a very Kyoto style. The day of the matsuri we had a picnic while we watched the boats, then afterwards I went with a few of the girls from our group to a more secluded area near the river where we waded a bit in the water and enjoyed the scenery. I took some pictures, however with my 35mm, so I won't be able to share them until I get home. But I did steal this one from Facebook...


The whole gang on the rocks by the river. (I am fairly at the back, in a gray tank top). :) In any case, this past week I finally got the foreign identification card I mentioned before (and with much better directions, I found the place in no time!) Afterwards I went to a giant "depato", which is a long word for "department store". It's not quite like any department store in the states, though. Most have floors that are grocery stores, in addition to clothing, toys, kitchenware, and almost everything else imaginable (this one even had a McDonald's). I bought a cheaper, larger enclosure for Ippiki (who grows larger, consumes more worms, and still swims about merrily when I come home). There was an 80's themed club night and a futbol game on Wednesday evening, but I sadly abstained as I had a character quiz the following day. Sadness.

My weekend was a bit cramped by having class at 10:40 AM on Saturday. :P Because Ritsumeikan is... Hm, a bit silly, to put it politely, we are forced to make up any holidays we have on weekends. So the two days we received off for "golden week", we are making up this past weekend and a weekend in June. Hmph. Anyway, on Friday night I went out for a short while to karaoke, then came home and got in bed fairly early. Class felt very surreal, but afterwards I came home and had a lovely nap before going out with a large group of girls to a club called "World". World was quite fun, they played lots of good music, although at one point in the night a not so talented Japanese girl came on and began singing and we decided it was time to make our exit.

Today has been a lazy day. I went downtown to place the order for my birthday celebration this Thursday (a $100 parfait the size of a small trashcan, hehe) and then wandered about the shopping district for a while. As I was walking about I came across a "UFO Catcher" arcade. A "UFO Catcher" is basically the Japanese equivalent of a claw machine. For those of you who may not know, I have a bit of an addiction to claw machines, so I decided to play a few. About half an hour later I walked away with two shopping bags worth of prizes. Now, I am in no way saying that Japanese claws are that much easier, in fact some are downright unfair, but the staff are just way too helpful. In a Walmart or a grocery store in the states you can pump quarters into a machine until you're blue in the face, and no one will say a word (except maybe your friends, who will mock you without mercy). I literally put two coins into one machine before a staff member came over and rearranged the toy so that on the next play I won. It was quite amusing. I've actually acquired quite a lot of UFO Catcher toys since I came to Japan...


Hehe. (And yes, that pink pillow was also a prize, it is quite awesome compared to my bean pillow). I suppose that's all I have to report at the moment. I am quite full of delicious conveyor belt sushi (at 105円 a plate!) so I think I shall relax and do some homework until it's time for bed. Love to all and I hope you are doing well.