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.

Hanami and Earthquakes

This is basically two weekends in one. The weekend before this one I went to see the sakura (cherry blossoms) with my friend Kimberly. It was really fun, we took some snacks and got sakura ice cream there. It was kind of like a fair. There's a ton of people, even when it rained like on the day we went. The trees were all in bloom too, so it was really pretty. I took a lot of pictures so here are those.

This weekend I went to this arcade called round 1 where you pay about 10 dollars and then get to play all the games you want for 4 hours. It was awesome. I played this drum game, and beat 2 versions of Time Crisis, along with some other stuff. Then on Sunday there was an earthquake in the morning, and another one at night. They were only little ones, and I don't think there was any property damage or anything. It was kind of freaky though.

Comic City

The convention was fun, but I didn't get any pictures, as basically it was just 3 buildings full of people selling doujin, and while it's fun to walk through (although tiring) it is not that exciting visually. Well unless you buy them and stuff. Anyways, we got up way to early to go, and then it took about an hour to get there, and we walked around for about 4 hours before heading back. And then we were kind of tired, so naps all around. And that was my exciting last day of break. I am happy that it finally warmed up though. It's all warm and sunny now. And I'm going to go cherry blossom viewing this weekend, as they are supposed to finally be out (late). So I'll get pictures of that. And there's a chance that I might do something interesting during golden week at the end of April, so I'll probably get some pictures then.

Spring Break

Mainly I just went to Hiroshima, but I also went to the Japanese student's graduation on Saturday, and got some pictures of Hirakata, so there's that too. And Sunday I'm going to a doujin con, but I'm not sure how many pictures I'll get there. So Saturday we went to the graduation, and then did all night karaoke. And then we took the train to Hiroshima, which actually involved 4 trains and about an hour standing up that was not very fun, but eventually we made it, and we went to drop our stuff off at the hostel. We went to the Peace museum and looked at memorials and had okonomiyaki (yummy and hard to describe) which was really good. Then we went back to the hostel and went to bed, since we had to get up early the next day. We went to Miyajima (jima=island) and saw a lot of shrines and deer, and that was fun, and we tried to go to the children's museum, but it was closed, so we went to Hiroshima castle instead. Which had way to many stairs, but we made it anyway. And then we had to catch the train back. But we were both tired by then anyway. So it was good. Now onto the pictures.(I'll caption the rest later, but currently the web page keeps crashing)

Nothing interesting,

but as my TV is being held as a hostage against this post...
So, I went to pick up my Alien Registration card, and there is a guy who works there who's hair is a cross between Elvis and Flock of Seagulls, my friend Sarah was with me and got a picture, which I'm going to try to get from her later. I only have one more test left tomorrow. So after that I am officially on Spring Break. The weather has turned cold again, so my trip to Kyoto for cherry blossom viewing has been postponed. But tomorrow is the last episode of this drama I've been watching, and then on Saturday there's the graduation ceremony for the Japanese students, so I might be going to that, as apparently the girls all wear kimono, so I want to see that. Then I will probably be doing all night karaoke. I'm not sure what I'm doing Sunday, probably just sleeping and packing for Hiroshima on Monday. I was going to go to Tokyo, but I never got my plans together, so it'll probably just be Hiroshima and Nara. I am excited about the crazy Nara deer though, and then on Next Saturday there are Anime and Doujinshi conventions, so I might go to one of those. My friend is going to the Doujinshi one with her class, and my roomate wants to go the anime one, so I haven't decided which. Mainly I just wish it would warm up and stay that way. Oh well. So I'll post pictures of my trips next week, hopefully we'll get some sunshine and good weather so they'll turn out okay.