Sunday and Birthday

Okay, so let's begin with Sunday...

After sitting inside all Saturday I felt the need to get out of the house and go somewhere. I sent out a mass text inviting anyone to come with me who wanted, that I was headed to Kuzuha mall, it's one stop on the limited express train toward Kyoto, and it's the nearest biggest mall. I wanted to go to uni qlo, the gap of Japan essentally. Because gap here is 40.00 for a scarf!

No one ended up coming, so I got on the bus and headed out... At hirakata station the bus stopped, but not in the place it normally does. At the same time I hear the beat of drums so I'm like, "Okay, what's going on?"

Randomly, I see this...

It's a random presession. I asked my Okaasan later, she had no idea. Since I didn't have anyone to worry about meeting I followed them around for awhile....

They carried these big towers and were singing and people were playing drums inside the towers and had people dancing on top. After following them for awhile I still couldn't figure out what's going on. And while I could ask in Japanese, I knew I wouldn't understand the answer!

So I headed off to Uni Qlo, I'm really getting comftorable using Japanese and getting around. It's odd, but for some words I'm almost using them more instinctually in Japanese now than in English.

At Uni Qlo I got a basic long sleeve shirt (because I don't have that many) two cute tops, one tunic style, jean leggings - how cool is that?, and a cool cheap hat - hats here are like a way of life, they're normally like 40.00! I got it all for like 70.00 US (because the exchange rate sucks right now), I thought for three shirts, a hat and nice leggings that was pretty good. They were having their weekly "It's Sunday!" sale, so I took advantage of it.

When I got home I went out shopping with my Okaasan for ingrediants. When I leave here her kitchen is going to be so stocked. She barely has any spices, she didn't even have baking soda, which for the record was fun to try to communicate in Japanese.

I trimed alll the fat I could off the beef for the beef stew. My Okaasan laughed at me, but I was cooking so no fatty beef for me that night! It turned out well, and my Okaasan liked it. I don't think she liked it as much though as the chicken because I didn't cook it in the oven. But I did cook bannana bread in the oven. Her and Otosan thought it was amazing, they said I could sell it! They immediately wrapped it up and we walked over to Ken and Chihiro's apartment so they could have some too. I told them it was really easy to make and that I'd make it anytime they'd like me to. It is pretty simple, and I like baking, not to mention if they buy the ingrediants I don't care!

I then sent out a mass text to people who hadn't gotten back to me about my birthday party and went to bed.


****^^^^>>>> Birthday!!! <<<<^^^^****

So I slept in and woke up around 10. I ate breakfast, leftover stew, but I've eaten worse! My Okasan presented me with presents from her and Otosan. I honestly wasn't expecting anything from them, maybe a card, so it was a shock. They got me a scroll case to put my artwork in, hello kitty stickers, and a limited edition hello kitty clutch bag. It's the 35th anneversary of Hello Kitty, and it's a limited edition bag you can only get in Japan. My Okasan she went to the store in Kyoto to get it, so I was really impressed...

Then I skyped with some people, you guys know who you are! Then headed off...

Sara and Solene texted me that they missed the bus and would be a bit late, I told them of course I'd wait. Good thing I did, they were the only ones that showed up. It turns out there's a wicked bug going around the Seminar houses. Dana, who was also invited, was found lieing on the kitchen floor sleeping. I guess she felt so disoriented and exhausted she just lied down where she was and instantly fell asleep, Sara said she looks really bad. So Dasha stayed home to take care of her. Ogilvie and Sophia had tests the next day so they were studing. One of the Egyptian girls got sick too, so the other stayed to take care of her. Jordan was still in Tokyo, and Heewon's flight back from Korea got delayed due to mechanical problems. The only person unaccounted for was Gita who never responded to me.

Since it was just three of us, we decided to go to Osaka Castle instead. None of us had been, and it wasn't a horde of people. This is Sara and Me:

And then the three girls:

We got some really great pictures of and from the top of the castle. It was a really cool experience. When we were going up to the castle there was a vendor with melon on sticks, we all felt like a snack. I decided to splurge and got a 200 yen slice of watermelon. I told them that this was better to me than birthday cake, so they all started to sing happy birthday (it was funny, all the Japanese people were like huh?), I "blew out" my melon slice, and then we all ate our melons on sticks. (something about that phrase sounds dirty...)

Then we went to round one and played some games and did Purikura. I told them all I wanted from them for my birthday was to do purikura, so they happily split the 400 yen cost and did it with me:

You go into a green screen photo booth and pick background and then make silly poses. Then you can add a bunch of stuff later and it prints out with a sticky back. I really like it, not only is it fun, but you make really cute memories.

Then we went out to dinner and I ordered my first of-age beer ever:

(P.S. OF COURSE I didn't drink it, since I'm not allowed as part of program. I ordered it, Solene Drank it, then I held up the empty glass I ordered.... ;D )

We walked around to a small cafe and got some actual cake, though no singing, that was over the melon. And then went home, it was about 8:00pm and they had tests tomorrow so they wanted to study, which I understood, I was just happy they came out at all. Solene gave me my birthday present, a tubberware container of Crepes! She knew I wanted to try her french cooking, so she got up this morning and made 17 crepes. She said she wanted to make 20 but they wouldn't fit. It's fill and go style!

Then when I got home we all played with baby Mita for awhile, then Chihiro presented me with a gift from her and Ken, it was Rilakkuma slippers (really famous random character, like Hello Kitty)! They're so cute and really warm. So now my woolrich slippers have become upstairs-downstairs slippers, and these are my inside slippers. My tootsies are warm all the time! I thanked them a lot, I was really shocked, I really wasn't expecting something from them.

So then I went to take my shower and Toko got home, and she also gave me a present! She gave me a messenger bag/purse and a little hello kitty hand towel. I was shocked yet again, and I thanked her a lot. I really wish I was better at expressing gratitude in Japanese, their thoughts menat a lot to me. Nothing was necessarily lavish, but these people went out of their way for me when they really didn't have to and I really didn't expect them to, I suppose in a way it made me feel more like a real part of the family.

These are the gifts I got:

I took my shower and then thanked them all again. I'm half thinking of writing thank you notes, but how do you give a thank you note to people you live with (or essentally live with in Ken and Chihiro's case) without being weird?

So, as I hope everyone can tell, it was overall a great birthday. I had a moment of being a little sad on the bus on the way home, just missing everyone back home. Nothing serious, but just a moment of missing spending important moments with the people I really love. But, coming home to such a reception from my host family cheered me up a lot, I'm okay.

Also, before I forget, thank you Betsy for the card and gift, I really appreciate it. It's sitting on my desk next to my other birthday card I got and is making me smile. So, thank you very very much also!!

Tomorrow I can't decide if I want to wear my new cloths or not, but I know I'm going to use Toko's bag!

I wish you all were here and could be sharing all this with me, it's really fantasitc. I love you all! Goodnight!