free day
God it's nice to have a free day in the middle of the week. It'll give me some time for part-time modeling work if I ever get it [though my host brother and a friend of a friend seem to be decent with photos so I may be able to get some sample shots]... and it's like having a second weekend. Friday will also be nice since I only have morning classes.

This morning I started some laundry in the new future-washer at my house. I shit you not, this thing is awesome. First of all, it's a washer and dryer IN ONE. Just one machine. With all these crazy buttons and lights and music. And when you put stuff in it, it spins it around both ways to WEIGH it and determine your load balance and the amount of detergent you need. Freak-OUT.

After I started my wash, I went to campus for my sports physical (required to use the rec center). As I was walking past the International bldg I saw two of the students being interviewed by a small TV crew. Curious, I watched for a bit and wondered if it might be a "drive-by gaijin TV interview." Sure enough, it was, and after the guys finished their deal with the others, they came over and cornered me into jumping through their hoops.

They asked me to put on a blindfold. I did. Then they asked me to smell something that they took out of a bag. One of the only reasons I was OK with doing the interview (besides the primary that I'm a total fool and exhibitionist) was that I'd seen the contents of the bag already and knew it wasn't something rank like rotten fish.

The point of the interview seemed to be that the blossoms of the flower are a very famous asian "fall" flower and the scent is everywhere now. It smells distinctly like peaches. Anyway, I had never smelled or seen the flower before, nor do I think we have it in America. The interviewers asked me a bunch of questions about having seen it before and all I could really say was "uhh, wakarimasen... (I don't know)." So I guess I succeeded in making myself look silly. Yahoo.

I met up with Chris from microservices (my oregon coworker) to have lunch with friends. Then Chris and I took the Yamanote train to Ueno, a large tourist district with a huge, lovely park. We simply strolled the park all afternoon and took some photographs in between talking about everything. It felt really great to unload to someone not in the program. And not just that but to someone that I know from before and am already familiar with.






Ueno park was really beautiful. So green in the middle of the asphalt. There were a bunch of temples and shrines there, as well as an art museum, a zoo, a small amusement park and many food booths. Ah, and a rather "well-known" pond with paddleboats and swan boats that I swear I've seen in at least three animes. At one of the shrines, I picked up another "fortune" card after looking at the prayer cards. Chris told me the reading was "good" (yay!) and later my host mother helped me decipher the notations and "advice" of it. Strangely enough, though the overall fortune was good, the "general" message was the same: you are of two minds and cannot decide which way to go.

[By the way, Justin, photo is for you. Made me remember precious things.]

Now, I'm not really one for astrology, etc. Every now and then I look at my horoscope and see what I want to see... but this fortune thing is different. Maybe it's only because I can't read the language myself and it makes it mysterious but in a way I believe it. It's self-evident, really. But still strange that the two were the same.

On the way home from Ueno, I picked up a chiffon cake for my family in the station and took it safely back home without collapsing it, even though I stopped at Shinjuku to shop in the Lumine department store for some school supplies. As trite as it sounds, I'm totally in LOVE with this shop on the 6th floor there. I'm unsure what the department is called but it's very reminiscent of the Gap and totally affordable. The REAL bonus about this store is that is has EVERYTHING from clothing to furniture and from kitchen supplies to school stuff. I swear to god, if I ever get an apartment here, this store is going to furnish it. It's so affordable. And these beanbag chairs they have? YUM. <3 <3

Ah. Today was so trite, but I accomplished a lot, actually. It was "busy" but not pressed. A nice, normal day. Ate well, felt good, enjoyed the weather.

I'd also like to mention that I'm very grateful to finally have much of the family reading. It makes me happy to be able to share this experience in such detail and so immediately. And it saves me mucho on postage and re-writing the same story for everyone over and over again. Sorry if you don't receive much in the way of paper letters. ; ) Right now it takes too much time even just to write here daily. *laughs*

I really, really appreciate all the kind comments and interaction from friends and family. Forgive me if I don't reply directly to every comment made. I'm still settling in. :)

I have been making an effort to be expressely nice to all the people I meet. I started doing it today and I've been startled by the results. I gave up my bus seat to an older woman, held the door for another, and gave up a seat again on the train. The elders who I (and Chris) helped have been both surprised and extremely (verbally) thankfull, bowing and such. It's really weird and sort of fun to do it. I think it defies their expectations of Gaijin.

Speaking of Gaijin... I leave you today with some Engrish. I love it.