Kimatsushiken!! FINALS!!!

Well this week went by really fast. Monday, Japanese classes, and I don't think anything particularly happened. Met with my discussion partner for relationships class. Tuesday was Japanese and Relationships class. Volunteer work has been moved to next week. Wednesday, Japanese classes and Communication class where nothing is going on anymore. Thursday Japanese classes and Relationships. Friday was the final day of class... Japanese and Communication. Friday was my Spoken Japanese Oral Final. I prepared fairly well I think... and it went well I think. The time limit was 6-7 minutes and I was done in no more than 5... when I looked at the grading though time wasn't something apart of it so hopefully it's all good. Also, I met up with my speaking partner. We hit up Karaoke, purikura, and took random pics around the station. Today I went to Umeda to do Xmas shopping and picked up 4 gifts.

This week is finals. I have Reading/Writing Japanese Monday, Spoken Japanese Tuesday, and my final paper for Relationships due Thursday. Friday I'm heading out via night bus with a friend to Tokyo where we will tour around to places and hit up... TOKYO DISNEY LAND :D I'm so excited. AND! AND!!!!! According to the weather website I use, there is a SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW!!!! :D!!!! That would be so awesome!

Here are some pictures from this week:



Here is the "hen" (strange) photo taken with my Spoken Japanese class and sensei. I am trying to mock my Reading/Writing Japanese sensei's angry face when she was a child LOL



Me and Joel and my Reading/Writing Japanese sensei!



KGU's hidden garden



My Speaking Partner and I :D

1 Week Later

You know... I envy Joel, being able to write in his blog everyday. It's not that I have a boring life and can't... just have such an exciting life I have no time LOL

This week has to be one of my most relaxing weeks in awhile. I had a lot of assignments but NO tests/quizzes. In Spoken Japanese we finished watching the drama, had a conversation day with Gaidai students, did our skits, and then reviewed for a test Monday. Our skit went well :) I hate that we have to vote for the best... some people take it to heart. No, my group didn't win, but I just want a good grade... I don't care about cross-dressing people and making something funny, as long as I get a good grade. We got to eat cake :D I have it on video too. That will be some good memories.


CAKE <3 from the 99 store haha

In Reading and Writing Japanese we just continued on with kanji study. We did sing karaoke in class one day HAHA. In my relationships class we are just continuing on with lecture. In Communication we are just doing presentations. Communication class is basically over. I did my presentation Friday... nothing else to do except show up and listen to everyone else! WOOT! Relationship class I have a short paper due Tuesday then my final paper due next week. Japanese classes I have some final tests and assignments and Oral test at the end of this week and written tests next week. I'm done with classes next Tuesday.

This past Tuesday I went back to Tonoyama Daiichi Elementary school. Teaching plan was "I am ...ing". I feel like it was pretty difficult for the students to learn all the vocabulary that fast. I go again this Tuesday for the last time and there is a workshop at Komatsu Friday but I'm not sure if I am going there yet.

It was a pretty awesome week :) Sunday I watched Angel and Demons with a friend, we also watched Liar Game together and rented Eurotrip and 1 Month to Live (a Japanese movie) to watch. Have watched the 1 Month to Live yet... Excited to see it though <3 Friday was karaoke with the dance booth members.





Rocking out to lord only knows what XD

It was fun :) Saturday I went to Kuzuha to hang out and go to a pet shop to shop for my kitty and the new addition to our family... our dog Toto. Toto got a pillow and my kitty got a new toy.



I saw this puppy... I so want it <3 KAWAII!!!

I was suppose to go to Takuma's for a Nabe Party with his family but... well long story short... I was running late (blame the cute puppy!) and I got his message too late and went off to Yakitori and Karaoke instead. Shikata ga nai.

Status: not motivated to study (is that even a status???)

Kyoto: Fushimi Inari and Kiyomizudera

Monday my dad and I finally traveled somewhere: KYOTO! My usual Monday alarm went off, waking me during my REM sleep and my eyes were still REMing when I woke up >.< I got dressed, almost forgot the big duffel of my clothes my dad is taking back to the US for me (my suitcases were packed when I came here... and after all the things I bought... ZETTAI MURIDAYO!), and met my dad at the hotel. I had to run to catch my bus. Lately, I've been using the bus schedule to get to the bus stop just in time... and I look at it and the next bus is in 10 minutes, which is plenty of time if I go right then. And with the big heavy bag on my shoulder I had to try to run a bit faster.

I got the just when dad was trying to figure how much it would be if he didn't checkout by 10, which he didn't have to worry about after all. We planned to go meet my friends at 11 at the Fushimi Inari station so with time to spare we hit up Starbucks before hopping on a train. For the record, no express trains go to Fushimi Inari... I think the fastest train was the blue train. Which is almost no better than a local train HAHA.

So we start riding and I get off at the wrong stop... in fact I exit the station at the wrong stop! We got off at Fushimi Momoyama (I think is the name). I check my train map in my schedule book (I have the entire train map of Tokyo and Osaka and subways from all over Japan... did I mention these maps are entirely in Japanese? Kanji too), and we buy a 200 yen ticket and continue on to the correct station. Where we meet Mai (we volunteer together). Mai's friend, luckily had my email address because I forgot to write hers down, also had traveling problems. So it all worked out good. We all waited for each other.

Fushimi Inari was awesome. So many toriis!!! I wonder how many there are. We didn't climb all the way to the top though. I guess we took the weenie route down 1/3 of the way up LOL. We did run into TWO pet-able kitties :D I haven't pet a kitty since I left home! The cats here are wild and just run away :( I bought a torii (a little one) and my cell phone charm + a soft Inari cats eye charm! I mean so sooooo soft too! Super cute :) Here are some pictures!!



Inari the fox. His temple!



Seeing double? Both paths went the same way by the way.



Toriis! Feel like you are in Memoirs of a Geisha yet?



Me and the toriis



Fall leaves!!!



The second of two kitties I got to pet :) This one was comfortably sun bathing.

Afterward we went to Kiyomizudera. I decided to go to the Kiyomizu Gojo station... after walking to the temple I started thinking the Gion station that we went to when I went with the dance booth members was closer. Not sure if I am wrong or right... I got a little lost trying to go back the way I went with the dance booth members. I knew I saw a Family Mart and I hadn't eaten really the whole day and I wanted to find it. Anyways, at Kiyomizu we walked around... it was really crowded. I bought an omamori :) AND GOT A GOOD FORTUNE FOR ONCE!! YAY :) I drunk from the fountain... I'm not sure what kind of luck I drank though LOL. I could use some luck no matter what kind it is.

After Kiyomizu we headed back on an overly crowded limited express train. Next time, I'm just going to take sub express. It's not like we were in a hurry. Sub express wouldn't have been so crowded. I was so pooped by the time we go to back to Hirakata-shi. We sat in the atrium of the station and I tried to think of something that to do that involves sitting since we had time to spare before needing to go to the airport... come on... what did I choose to do???? Shouldn't be that hard to figure out... What is something fun to do that involves sitting? KARAOKE!!! So we hit up karaoke for an hour before heading to the airport. It was fun :)

I took dad back to the airport, an easier way that when I went to pick him up. It may not have been cheaper, and may or may not have taken as long, but it was sooo much easier. Hirakata-shi to Kyobashi on the Keihan line, Kyobashi to Tennoji on the JR Loop Line, Tennoji to Kansai Airport on the Airport express train. Then do it in reverse!! I didn't get back to the dorm til almost 11. I hate how much I have been eating McDs lately but I've been so busy. I think starting today it is back to cooking and packing bento.

I'm trying to remember what day of the week it is LOL. Holidays throw me off. Festivals too. And we just had both!

Current status: hungry, sleepy, but mostly hungry.

I wish I could move out of SH2....

I really do love all the friends I've made in the seminar house, I'm glad I chose this house, but I hate the disrespectful people who have no business being here. We JUST HAD A MEETING WHERE AT LEAST 5 PEOPLE SPOKE UP ABOUT CLEANING AFTER YOURSELF IN THE KITCHEN... and I heard that people went out drinking and left the kitchen a mess tonight. I hope Karma really does come and bite these people in a$$ one day. It's people like them I do not want to see make it in the JET Program. It's people like them who should not be here in the first place. If it was not already paid for, I'd be out of here.

OK, enough venting.

One more week down. I should write how difficult it is to apply for the JET Program while abroad. Not so easy. But I am almost done. I think the hardest part is the Statement of Purpose. I want this so bad, I want everything to be perfect. Thanks to all the awesome people who have read it, sometimes more than once haha.

Amazingly, I went into town the other day with Kanako and we went to reserve my dad's hotel and go to karaoke, then I asked her if she knew how to make gyudon. I bought the meat, but I did not know what else to do. She showed me in the supermarket a box, that contained a bag, that you boil in water, and WALAA you made gyudon. I was skeptic... but I made it last night. And it was GREAT! I'm bringing some home <3 I took leftovers in my plastic container today for lunch, but forgot something to eat it with, so I asked the people in the konbini for some chopsticks and they said I had to buy a bento or something to get them......... so I just bought McDs and ate my leftovers for dinner.

Osaka Castle

Well, tomorrow is the last day of Silver Week... wait??? REALLY!?! Yep... I thought today was Monday, too. Tomorrow is Wednesday and the last day of my 5 day vacation.

Saturday: I was suppose to go to the INFES party, but fell back asleep which is OK. I don't remember exactly what I did instead that day... oh well.

Sunday: I was suppose to go to Osaka with some friends but decided to go to Karaoke on my own and just stay in Hirakata. I bought 3 CDs, 2 which had bonus DVDs, for 750 yen at Book Off. It was a good day :)

Monday: I was lazy yet again. I was trying to find a place to get money when my guardian angel, Taka-san (yes, I shortened his name), took me to find an open ATM. Double riding his bicycle. I always wanted to do that :) And it went a lot of faster. So I got some grocery shopping done.

Today, I somehow fell back asleep and slept til 2 pm... waking and rushing out to meet Vanessa in Osaka. We were going to meet at Osaka Castle. The castle closed at 4:30 and because it takes me an hour at least to get there. Let me comment on the trains here in Osaka (yeah, you know this was coming).

This was the first time going on my own on the trains here. I've only ridden them once before too and that was with Kanako. All these Osaka people are always like "Amber, if you can navigate Tokyo, you can navigate Osaka, it's easier" !!!!! NO, IT'S NOT! There is like 5 different trains... the local, express, super express, limited express... and Osaka has thing not caring to have maps and English maps available for me to tote around! I navigate Tokyo good because I had a map for a long time... eventually it got embedded in my head. And the local train of course stops at all stops while the express trains... I don't even know the difference between them... if I had an English map, I probably could tell you. I guess some stop at some number of stops and the more faster the train the less stops it takes. So you have to make sure your train stops at your stop. Very complicated and confusing. Not easier than Tokyo.

But something I never saw in Tokyo... is a double decker train. In fact I stopped mid Japanese direction asking to go "OMG!" I made sure to ride in this car too. Just because.



So yes, I did manage this by myself... taking the Keihan Line to Kyobashi, changing to the JR Line (WAIT! I STILL CANNOT USE MY PASMO HERE! Osaka is SOOO weird) where I rode to Morinomiyo. I met Vanessa and her friends from Nagayo at Osaka Castle. I got there 8 minutes before it closed so I just hung around the gift shop. I've made a note to go back there later.



After resting, we decided to go to Osaka Tower. We stopped at the shrine, I gave some money, did a little prayer then bought a fortune. Mine was a so-so fortune... not sure, but I hung it on the tree anyways.



So 2 subway stops later, switching lines, 3 stops later, we arrive to the Tower. The wait to tour the tower is 50 minutes. I've made a note to go back there too. We walk around, there are 3 Pachinkos at least in this area (Osaka... you guys have a bad addiction) and finally a small arcade with some purikura which we do. Supposedly there is no Purikura in Nagoya. The best Purikura I've been to was the one in Makino... with the monkey bars <3



So after that, I headed back on my own... taking one subway line 3 stops, switching lines, going 2 stops. I get off the subway and notice... the escalator isn't moving... there is a train stopped with all the lights off O.O This isn't a power outage... I start worrying that it being a holiday maybe the trains stop running early... but at 7??? So panicking, I ran out the wrong exit... >.< So I go out exit 2 and ask a lady which direction the JR station was and walked in a heavy rain (good thing I grabbed my umbrella just in case this morning :D) by myself at dark. It was a little depressing. But I found it and everything was running so no worries.

I got by to Hirakata on my own a little early so I stopped at McDs for a fast dinner and went to Ring with Taka-san for Karaoke :) It was fun. We seem to sing the same types of songs too. I like singing with him. Ring is a bit expensive though. I kinda like my Smiley Karaoke better.

POLAR BEAR!!!!.........wait~

So it is Tuesday... and I haven't updated since Saturday.

Sunday, I didn't do much. Ash and I went walking around the other side of town stopping at Midori, and various other stores and lunch before heading back for study time. I feel like I didn't study that much. I had the review/replacement test for Reading/Writing Monday. I'm not sure how good/bad I did but as of today I had not heard anything. So I went to see my professor today and asked to be put into Level 3 for Reading/Writing which he has agreed to and would notify me by tomorrow morning about what section. SO NO CLASS AT 9 AM FOR ME TOMORROW :D WOOT WOOT! I think I can get through 4. I'm going to get into a routine for studying which will include studying the rest of Genki II grammar that I have not gotten to. That I can handle to tolerate Spoken 4. But I cannot, CANNOT, learn the kanji I have skipped that fast to stay in R/W 4. It's not going to work. So level 3 starts at Genki II L17 and carries through to the end which is perfect. I'm honestly still considering going to Spoken 3 though... but I don't think I'll benefit from it as much as Spoken 4. I was to talk to both my sensei at UWF and my sensei here... unfortunately if I want to speak to my sensei at KGU, I have to do it Japanese, or at least I'm expected to and I don't feel like it LOL

Anyways, Monday was just Japanese classes and then Ash and I went to Hirakata to get her alien registration done and 2 hours of karaoke and a little bit of shopping where I have held myself back from buying Beni's new CD until next month. I'm going to have a good collection by the time I get home. I cooked YAKITORI for dinner: chicken, onions, and carrots with rice. Tonight I'm doing it again except with gyuniku instead and adding potatoes... so yakiniku :D




Today was Spoken Jap and Cross Cultural Relationships. I love that class. It's awesome. I met with Takuma for a bit before going with Diego into town to help buy a shinkansen ticket to Tokyo. He's going during Silver Week... which is our long weekend coming up. I was going but all my friends are busy there so... changed my mind. And I cannot budget myself LOL. Heading back, I saw this dog... that I coulda swore was a polar bear... but hello, there are no polar bears in Japan, not walking on the roads anyhow... or on a leash... it was a big huge fluffy white dog. The owner musta heard my exclamations about it and he stopped around the corner and I got to pet the dog and even asked if I could take a picture and he let me!



Kumajyanaiyo~ Not a bear...

Karaoke, Pookies, and Purikura!

So today after the house meeting the plan was for my speaking partner to come here to the dorm and I was thinking we could all go visit the shopping road together. Well plans changed because my roomie and I wanted to go to Karaoke today too. I asked Aki if there was a place nearby and she said not here but near Hirakata Station. I asked Kanako if she wanted to go, and she did, so instead we met her at the station. We ate McDs first then asked where a place was. Stupid enough, later, I found the directions and ad for the same place on the tissues I had in my purse. Well, at least we know for next time. The place was so crowded we actually had to wait 35 minutes. But we did karaoke for 1 hour, Ash's first time. It was great. I sung one of my new Crystal Kay songs :D They have a lot of Bonnie Pink songs at that place. We should do all night karaoke there, I can rock the house <3

Afterward, Kanako had to leave and it was just Ash and I. We decided to explorer because she wanted to look for a magazine and I wanted to just look around for deals. So we hit up Tsutaya and Book Off.



Book Off... under the train tracks.



Tsutaya is that way (you can see the sign)


Afterwards, I found my FAVORITE store in Osaka... KIDDY LAND!



This is like Pookie Paradise <3



I'm going to buy this bento as soon as I learn how to cook well enough for me to start taking bento school. Of course it won't be everyday, but enough where I don't have to eat school food. Too much McDs around here tempting me.




Me and my pookie bear... they have Peanuts stuff too! And Hello Kitty! And Cinnamoroll! That place is just awesome <3


So after my pookie overload, we take the bus back to the dorms. We were going to ask about the game center/purikura place in Makino (we asked in Tsutaya if there was a place near but she told us near Makino). On the way to Makino is the shopping streets I wanted to go so I thought, HEY LET'S GO! Unfortunately, it's Sunday and almost 6, so they are all closing...



Here is the bus stops at the station.

So after resting a bit at the dorm and me grabbing my map to make sure I go the right way, we head out once again... TO MAKINO! The shopping street is closed but when it is open I bet's awesome. I'll take pics next time we go back. Just nothing much to take pics of when it's all closed. Heading to Makino we learn that the supermarket over here is much closer than the other one... but it's not open 24 hours. We learn that on the way back. We walk, keep walking, and I see some fun looking buildings... CAN ONLY BE... pachinko -_- Stupid Pachinko (like gambling places). I swear for every one Pachinko place I see here, I can find 3 game centers in Tokyo. Osakans must love Pachinko.

And after crossing some railroad tracks I see more fun buildings! Yes, one is pachinko (this is pachinko 3 or 4 on this 20-25 minute walk). BUT! It is also bowling, karaoke, purikura, and game center :D I WIN! So we do purikura. We go into this fun booth with like monkey bars to hang on too... I choose 3 backgrounds and we take 3 pics... the first one is kinda obvious, the camera and screen is right in front of us so we line up... the second... I can hear a pic is about to be taken... but there is nothing on the screen... then I realize afterward that there are 3 camera, and this one was below the other and we were suppose to sit down... so we got a pic of our legs. The third was on the other wall so we move. Then we get 3 more backgrounds and I get to hang on the monkey bars :D That pic is my favorite. We hang around in the game center after decorating and printing them... i try the UFO Catcher (like claw machines back at home but this requires skill I do not have >.<) 3 times... losing 600 yen... before Ash pulls me away and we leave. Here is the place at night.



We walk back wanting to stop at the supermarket but it was closed.

So, without food, I decide when I get back, around 9 pm I was gonna eat me some ABCs and 123s. Seems like everyone is eat... Yuji and Aki are in there along with other dorm people. I felt like I've never seen half of them... ANYWAYS, I heat up my food and sit at my computer (and actually I was typing this blog). After finishing, I was separating the pieces of my container and Yuji asked what I was eating. I told him it was like spaghetti but it was shaped like ABCs and 123s (HENCE THE NAME!). He didn't quite understand so I went back up to my room and brought down the other one I have plus the ravioli one and show it to him. He says it looks good so I told him next time i eat it I'll share it with him.

He told me he was cooking rice. And it smells good. So I go and smell his rice LOL. It does. He grabs his chop sticks and tastes it. Then give me a taste. Tastes good. I told him I want him to teach me how to make Yuji Gohan ^.^ So he is going to teach me how to cook rice with a rice cooker :D I move his container of rice while he is washing his dishes (I enjoy watching a man do dishes LOL... or maybe I just enjoy watching him do dishes, I dunno). So he was surprised to see his rice gone but quickly found it. I go to the fridge and get a cookie, I offer him one... he asks why they are cold and while I keep them in the fridge... I don't really have a package for them and I don't want to leave them out in the open and also I don't want the humidity to get to them from the room, but they taste good cool from the fridge. He then begins to steal my rice crispy treats... Yuji likes my American food I guess? I give him a few.

He then goes to his fridge and mixes a drink for me that tastes like Sprite. So we share that for awhile before discussing our cleaning duties. Starting next week, me and another group led by Aki clean the kitchen everyday at 9pm. Then afterward we move to HAVE FUN, SENTO (like Sauna/Onsen), STUDY, and SLEEP! So I only have study everyday for a week once a month it seems... and I get to sleep for a week too?? Haha I just laughed at it. I'll take a pic of it one day.

So that was my day~ full of fun and laughs. Best day ever here thus far <3

Sunshine City and Karaoke

So after an unexpected visitor turned up at my friend's house at 1 am and staying up talking til almost 4 am, sleeping for about 5-6 hours, I woke up and met Vanessa at Kudanshita station and we went to Ikebukuro to go to Sunshine City. Getting there was easy... finding Sunshine Dori was not. Well.. it is easy but not when you go to the wrong exit (we took west when we shoulda took east). It was funny because Erin told me there are signs all over the place for Sunshine City........ but only at the easy exit I guess LOL. By the way that station had 41 or so exits. Huge station.

So after exiting at the wrong exit, shopping, eating, practicing Japanese to get directions, we do find these signs that point us up and out of the station and BOOM everything looks familiar because I came here last year. And I so see my Hello Kitty store :D WHERE I DO SHOP! Then we head down Sunshine Dori to Sunshine City and shop more. We went to this one store and there was this suuuuuper cute purse and I was like loving it... fearing the price because it was so awesome and I just knew the price wouldn't be. BUT to my surprise it was only about 2500 yen. YES! SCORE! I so bought it. I'm happy. I love it.

Kojin met up with us eventually and we walked around some more before eating McDs and going to Karaoke for an hour because we didn't know what else to do (When in Japan, do karaoke?). Vanessa and I went back to her hotel (same one I was in for the past 3 weeks) and hung for a bit before heading back to Kasai together to do Karaoke with Erin. This was preplanned and I invited Vanessa. Kojin ended up coming. So when we started at 10 it was Erin, Brad, Vanessa, and me and then Kojin came then Erin's friend... who left first... the Erin left at around 2 or 3... then it was just us 4 til 5 am. Note when we got there it was just for 2 hours... then we added an hour... then another hour... then we were like "Ok we just want free time". So we karaoke'd from 10-5. We left... it was daylight... took a taxi 4 blocks down the road... sooooo sleepy. So much fun though. Throat hurts.

New Habit

With the earthquakes having me a bit paranoid, my new habit is to always a part of my body moving, usually me bouncing my leg while I'm sitting LOL. I find when I sit still (or attempt) I'll move slightly unconsciously and think it's an earthquake coming on again... so I always keep something moving so I don't scare myself ^.^

ANYWAYS

I'm doing good :) Surprisingly. End of the semester is right around the corner. Japanese class is great. A lot quieter now. Know why? Mr Loud Mouth seems to be gone. He hasn't been in class for 3 days. Missed 2 quizzes and a test... I don't see the point in coming back now. I didn't realize he was staying at my hotel. I came back early one day and the ladies were cleaning my room so I sat in the lobby til they finished (took 30 minutes) and I saw him with 2 guys. Tara says he just using Sophia to be here in Japan and told me some more weird stuff that went on between her and him (they were partners in class). But if he has family here (he's been here 8 times!) then why does he need Sophia as an excuse? He seems to have lied to Tara so I don't know what all is believable when it comes to him. For all I know he has an earpiece in his ear during class. It would explain how he seems to know WHAT to say but cannot say it properly :p

History is ok. I've heard some people just taking one class. I never thought into looking in that. Especially with this being 3 weeks, the classes are difficult. Japanese is difficult enough. I should've asked about just taking Japanese. None of the other classes were really appealing. History wasn't really appealing. I already studied the history -_-

Anyways, today after class friends and I went to LaQua (I think it is the name) for lunch. Ramen.



It's an awesome place. It's like an amusement park and shopping place in one :D Awesome rides, I'd love to go back and ride some of them. After eating, Diane met up with us and we went to karaoke :D 2 hours. Half the price of last time. After that we split up and with (Eng) Shota's help returned on my own. Now to study. Kabuki tomorrow!

Ueno and Karaoke!

Yesterday was the second test in Japanese... after my oral test, sensei said it was perfect. I didn't understand what he said once I narrowed down my choices (we are "shopping" and I'm looking for a small white bag). I really wanted to decide not to buy because deciding to buy is easy and I wanted to try a difficult one... but because I didn't pick up what he said (I'm pretty sure it was what I was asking for, I just can't remember now) I just decided to buy it. Test was pretty easy.

We didn't get the history midterm back. Probably a good idea, I'd like to enjoy my weekend without the thought of grades on my mind. But I think I did OK on it. We spent half of class time in lecture then he put a movie in. I excused myself for the last half to return to the hotel and "take medicine because I was sick" and I wanted to go to Ueno afterward and needed to be well. That quote will be line when need be HAHA. I'm not sick though, no worries!

I met my friends back up at the school and we decided to eat then go shopping in Ueno for yukatas. I was hungry but I guess not much of an appetite. I ate like 1/4 of katsudon. I think Vanessa and I though did a good job reading the menu :D

After lunch we went to Ueno. Kojin was funny he kept counting us to make sure we were all there. Nice shopping area. There was this one store with purses... all 3150 yen (about 31.50$). All the price tags read like 20000 yen... I'm not sure if those purses really were worth over 100$ but 31.50 seemed like a good price. I didn't buy one though. I wanted to. Still do. We went to this department store to buy Yukatas for those who didn't have one yet. I was the only one that ended up buying one. I think that makes about 5 of us wearing yukatas tonight? For those who don't know, yukata is a summer kimono. It's thinner than a kimono... imagine wearing that thick heavy kimono in the summer >.< DEATH! A yukata is torture! I got the yukata witht he fake bow because it came with every thing except the baggie and fan and was the cheapest still. It's purple with a a yellow gi (sash).

After Ueno shopping we headed back. As we crossed the intersection to go to the station, I notice this little old Japanese guy talking to some foreigners (I figured the were foreigners because they kept telling him "wakarimasen" I don't understand) and eventually he left them alone and walked past me and whoever I was walking near. I figured he was trying to ask directions. I turned around and saw him talking to Justine! She told him wakarimasen as well and he followed us across the intersection. Kojin started talking to them and all of us girls are standing there not sure what is going on... THEN KOJIN GRABS HIM BY HIS SHOULDERS AND STARTS PUSHING HIM! Not hard... but like trying to get him away from us. We realize we should go down the station and wait. Justine says he was drunk. So we go down there and Kojin still doesn't come, we look up the ramp and see the old guy still trying to follow us so I decide to go tell someone. While in the midst of trying to tell a station attendant, Kojin comes back and it's all ok. He was a crazy old man =/ Wanted to have tea with Kojin too.

Anyways, we headed back, eventually it ended up just being Vanessa, Hailie, and me. We stop at the konbini and because Vanessa was going out later with everyone else, Hailie (forgive me if I misspell her name) and I decide to go to karaoke. I hang out for awhile in Vanessa and Hailie's room before freshening up and going to karaoke.

SOOOOO MUCH FUN :D Cant' wait to go again. We did it for an hour (it was after 7 and was expensive at this point). With 15 minutes left, I found the stop button. Good thing too because Hailie was trigger happy and would send the same song to sing like 3 times LOL. I did it too though... once... funny ^.^ I just saw the "stoppu" on the machine but couldn't read the rest... so I was like "should I push it????" and then try and it works. So now I know how to stop the songs. I had fun with my Japanese songs... especially "Kiseki" by GReeeeeN... it just put the words up there but no highlighting to follow it. I did a lot of "lallala nananan nenene" in the songs. I think we had fun though :) We'll have to go before 7 so we can pay like 133 yen/person (compared to 650yen/person/30 minutes!)

After karaoke we walked around and went down that one road I've been wanting to explore since I found it when trying to find a McDs (but I went to Roppongi instead). Seemed mostly residential. I don't know if that is where the McDs is that I was looking for... good thing I didn't go that way. We turned around and went back up the stairs to the main road and decided to go into that park area (I want to take pics there) but as we went around the corner there seemed to be two people trying to have some private time so we decided to not go in. We were singing Mulan songs this whole time while walking. Maybe people thought we were crazy LOL

We returned to the hotel and watch Death Note. This is when I realized for some reason my Death Note on my computer doesn't work with subtitles because of this stupid file... I'm gonna try to fix it.... but I may have to let a friend figure out if I can't =/ This is because last year my external HD broke and I had to replace everything and I haven't watched Death Note since before my old one broke. I wonder what else isn't working.

I'm going to the Edo-Tokyo Museum with Lauri this morning and then returning to get dressed for Hanabi (fireworks). There's a big show in Odaiba... it's going to be very very crowded so we are getting there a couple hours early. The show should last a couple hours. So there should be lots of awesome pics come soon :) STAY TUNED~~