My last week in Japan (so far) -pictures till later

So, last week I finished actual classes, I had graduation ceremony on Saturday and that was pretty awesome. We got free food, which is every college student's raison d'etre. They actually also had free beer, which I don't think would fly in American Universities, but I don't actually like beer, so I did not join in the general rejoicing over that. They had cake which I did enjoy. Then most of the rest of the week I have just been hanging out and traveling a little, doing all the mini trips I didn't get in earlier. Like I went to Osaka Castle with some friends, which there will be pictures of later. I also had dinner with my friends and some of our Japanese friends, and that was fun. Monday I finally got to Nara, where I was attacked by deer, I bought deer cookies so it was my own fault, and we saw the giant Buddha. That was really fun, and we did last minute souvenir shopping which was also good. Other than that I've just been catching up on chores, like selling my bike and packing. I also met with one of the KG students who is going to my school next semester, and then hung out with some friends today and that was all nice and relaxing. I'm not sure what I 'm going to do tomorrow, but Friday I'm going to see Pirates3 with some friends and then dinner and a little shopping with even more friends, so that ought to be fun. I'll be sad to leave everybody though. It still hasn't really hit me that I'm going to be gone really soon yet. But I don't think it will be very fun when it does. Mainly I just want to enjoy my last few days here. I'll worry about everything else when I get back. I'll probably do my last post and put up pictures when I get back. I really am looking forward to seeing everyone, it's not that I don't miss being home, but I will also miss being here, so it's a little difficult. Anyways, Look for my last update in about a week.

Golden Week Adventures

Tokyo was awesome. I left on Thursdsay night and my roomate and I took the night bus, so we arrived at Tokyo Disney on friday morning. We took the monorail over to Disney Sea and spent a fun if busy day there. Basically everyone in Japan decided that they wanted to go to Disney too, so the lines were really long, but we got fast passes for the tower of terror and the indiana jones rides, and stood in line for the other ones forever. It was good. We were both kind of exhausted when we got to the hostel though so we went to bed early. Then we got up the next day and went to Harajuku, and Shibuya which are both really famous shopping and fashion areas, and that was a lot of fun. On Sunday we went to Ikebukuro and met up with one of my roomates friends who was an exchange student last year. And Sunday night we took the night bus back. It was really good, except me feet started killing me, and much like my London adventure I spent around twice what I thought I would, but since this was the only time I get to go to Tokyo during the semester and it was my last big trip really before I leave it's okay. Although I think in the future I will avoid night buses if I need to be coherent the next day for class. Luckily I didn't have any afternoon classes. So after my morning classes I went home and caught up on my sleep. Also if anyone is planning on going to either of the Tokyo Disneys I don't recommend Golden Week if you can pick another time. Although with the fast passes it wasn't to bad. The Tower of Terror ride was good, but as I have nightmares that run on similar lines, I don't think I enjoyed it as much as the other people. Oh well. On to the pictures.

Golden week

I spent the first half of golden week (With Monday, Thursday, and Friday being the holidays) sick with the flue which wasn't very fun, but I'm looking forward to tomorrow, since I'm heading to Tokyo, I'm going to Disney Sea, and then doing some other stuff until Sunday when I head back to Hirakata. Today's Spoken Japanese class was really fun since we learned some Kansai Ben, which I totally won't be able to use in class ever again. Oh well, we got candy:) Today was my friend Liz's 21st birthday so we went to Kyoto and saw Spiderman 3 (like 9 days before it gets out in the states mwahaha) and it was pretty good, don't want to give it away though. We also went to this store called Book Off and I got a browser for my DS Lite for only like $20 which considering they don't sell them in the states yet and to get them new or the European ones which are like twice that, I thought it was a pretty good deal. So that was fun, and then we went to an arcade to do puri kura and play the drum game. After that we headed back to Hirakata for dinner with some other friends at this 280 restraunt which was really fun, and then we watched a Tackey and Tsubasa concert DVD that Lucinda (Liz's roomate) had bought at Book off. So now I'm off to get some sleep so I can study tomorrow and do my Monday homework since I don't want to cart it with me. YAY! I finally get to go to Tokyo ^_^ so happy! I'll post picks of it when I get back so look forward to that, and maybe more posts as the semester is winding down, so I'll finally have the time to do stuff. I haven't gotten to see a lot of Kyoto yet, and that's where the souveneirs mostly live...If my funds hold out through my Tokyo shopping expedition;) I hear that electronics district calling my name.<^_^>I'm already starting to get to the I'm going to miss things stage though. Mostly my friends, and easy access to some of the things I've grown attached to like the crazy awesome arcades and really awesome shopping districts (most are fun to window shop in too) also some of the foods I especially like, like udon with kitsune, so yummy. And the vending machines everywhere, and the slightly bizzare commercials (not nearly as many car commercials) some so esoteric you can't even understand what they are selling, also the dramas on TV that I like, but those I can still get later. Not quite the same, as there aren't commercials that way, and it's not the moment they're aired, but still better than nothing. Oh well, mostly this post is for later to remind myself of what I loved and miss about Japan, since I really still want to come back here as a JET or in some other program. It's been a lot of fun, even with all the work for class and studying (the spoken class is kind of killer, but I've gotten a lot better than I was, so I don't mind so much) Oh well, I've still got 3 and a half more weeks to enjoy it. Forgive me if I get really soppy later. There are things that bug me, like the humidity, which is not nearly as bad as Ireland, except that with the heat it's killer. Also I kind of miss my bed futons are okay, but if I was going to have one on a permanent basis there would be lots more layers than my current one. Well, I'll write more when I get back about how Tokyo was, it ought to be awesome.