The Great Battle and Grand Table

Today was another randomly emotional day for me. Some days I'm perfectly fine, going about my business, and other days I feel so emotional, heavy, and drained. Today was more the later than the former.

School was okay, my Ceramics Sensei taught me the use of a new tool to help me make bigger bowls. I can't tell what he really thinks of me, but he is a nice guy. I likely shouldn't be in the advanced class, since we're going over a lot of stuff that I've never learned, it's surprising how much my other teachers failed to teach, I feel jipped.

My Japanese class is still a little too easy at times, but I am learning new things, and I'm reinforcing things I wasn't strong on before, so I think I may just stick it out. I'm thinking it may be better to "learn less" Japanese, but have what I do learn be really strong and skilled. So that's what I'm leaning toward.

After classes I tried to go to the Seminar Houses, but no one was in the room, and the Okasan of the Seminar house is hardcore strict. You have to check in, wear a badge, and if they don't think the person you're meeting is there the person has to come downstairs and fetch you. I couldn't even go up to see if any girls were in the room and then come back down. It was annoying and kind of embarassing, I don't want the Okasan of the Seminar House to think I'm like trying to sneak in and mooch or something.

I didn't really know what to do after that so I went home. Thinking that just sitting at home was a bad idea I packed my purse to go to the station downtown area and then, it happened...

As I'm quietly minding my own business, walking down the stairs to go out, I see dead ahead of me, at the bottom of the stairs, hanging is a spider... and let me tell you, Japanese spiders are CREEPY. I have the jeebies right now just thinking about it. So I'm trying to not let this spider ruin my day so I get a big umbrella hanging on the wall outside (no, I've got no idea whose it is) and try to lean over the upper stairway so I can reach the lower stairway and knock the spider down. This spider was floating in thin air because I knocked out like all it's webs.

Defeated, I returned to my room and lied down and took an hour nap. When I woke up I asked Heewon if she wanted to go to Mos Burger (a Japanese gourmet type burger chain) with me and try it. She said sure so I headed out again...

IT WAS STILL THERE!!!! Just like, waiting for me. Determined to see my friend I went upstairs and readied myself with a weapon, the swiffer. Walking back down the stairs, umbrella in one hand, swiffer in the other, my best running shoes on I am prepaired to do battle with the eight-legged creepy feind of doom. But, to my surprise, it was gone!! It ran from my superior weaponry and cunning. So I returned the items to their place, and began to creep down the stairs. I saw it on the ceiling, near the far corner. Prepairing myself, I made a break for it, and I ran down the rest of the stairs flailing. Thankfully, no one was around...

Unfortunately my battle was for naught. Heewon lost her notebook and had to go on her own grand exodus to find it. So I walked around a book store for awhile, and looked at all the books I can't read. Then went upstairs to the second level where the manga is. I found two manga that look decent with furigana. Furigana is when the hiragana (basic syllable characters) are written next to the Kanji (the symbol characters). I got these two for the price of one manga in America, and I'm going to work on translating them and I hope they help me learn the Kanji or reinforce them.

Following that I went to this place called "Grand Table" it's a bakery and cafe. I went in and they had this grand table (what a surprise?) with all these different breads on it. You pick a tray and some tweasers and pick the breads you want. I picked this lemon scone thing, and a bread that tasted like a cheesy pig in a blanket. If you eat it there they warm it up for you and bring it out on a little plate with a drink. It was SO good, and really cheap. I got both for 105 yen. It made for a really nice snack in the middle of the day. The lady behind the counter spoke some english and asked if I knew Japanese, I said very little. She was very kind and used simple Japanese, and English when it was too difficult or complicated. She asked where I was from and why I was in Japan. It's within a 10 minute walk from my house, so I'm thinking of making it my personal coffie shop. Go in once every day or two and relax, eat scones, or hot dog bread and make friends with the locals. It seems like a good thing to do. It was mostly older ladies in there, and some were staring a bit but they'll get used to seeing me around.

I walked back home and went upstairs. They were watching an American movie on the laptop called "Passengers." I'd never seen it and watched the end. Then, as always, no one said anything. Okasan didn't need help with dinner, so I went downstairs, got my book, and sat and read like everyone else.

Tonight was the first dinner that I didn't like... It was like an odd Japanese stew... They tried to explain it and used their electronic dictionary to look up a word and all it said was "Processed Fish" that didn't give me much hope. It looked strange, tasted strange, and had a strange texture. I ended up eating the potatoes in the bowl, and the other veggies. Eating the tofu and egg that was in there for some protein. Tried to get down as much of the fish as I could, and then ate a salad and all my rice to fill me up. I'm not packed to the brim like I am on most nights, but I'm also not going hungry. I was honest and said I didn't really like it and was sorry, Okasan wasn't mad and seemed to understand that it was a lot of odd things and flavors for an American. I've been pretty good until now about putting whatever's in front of me into my mouth and eating it, so I think she knows I at least give things a shot.

After dinner was good, Mitachan (the baby) and her parents came over. My Okasan and Toko began to teach me the months, days of the week, and days of the motnh. Okasan said that every time I wake up and come up for breakfast she's going to ask me what day is it? And I should respond with the Month, the Day, and the Day of the Week. Then we had a small english lesson. They had a big picture book with a lot of simple words for basic things. They asked me questions mainly on pronounciation.

I taught Toko the concept of bi=two, tri=three and so on with examples, I felt proud. I also learned her favorite candy is See's Chocolates, there's a See's in Tokyo apparentally, I'm going to try to find it and bring her back some candies when I go this next week.

Then it's shower and downstairs, blogging and to bed with me. I'm always tired, so I'm trying to get as much sleep as possible so I don't get sick. I don't feel like I'm getting sick though, thankfully, just really tired.

I miss you all very much, tons of love from Japan.