Nikki has been a lazy twit and has not updated in a long time. I know. Next time you see me, you may hit me, though please do it gently, for I have grown tired and weak from lack of sleep due to the twin feelings of excitement and boredom.

The very truth of the matter is that the daily tedium of classes is broken only by random hilarious outbursts from students and teachers alike, but being in class everyday from 9-4 is so eerily reminiscent of high school. So here I am, a high school student with a university student's "hey, let's skip class" mentality. Constant inner turmoil, says I. Makes me sad inside.

So the most logical place to start is the first big event since I last posted, AKA:
鎌倉バス旅行 Kamakura Bus Trip


The day started off abominably early, with the alarm going off at 6:30 and me crying for a pot of tea. Nonetheless i was out the door at 6:50, on a　新宿ゆき Shinjuku bound train, missing most of the morning commuter traffic which left me giddy with joy. Headed over to the main building and met the other early arrivers, bonded over quasi sunrises and weird portable breakfast foods. Was put into a group with Stacey, Eric, and Kurimoto-san and boarded our tour bus, me racing to the very back seats just like I did from elementary school through to the high school (except senior year, for that was a southern abomination and I had my own car...). Most of the ride up was spent talking with Kurimoto-san, watching Stacey and Eric sleep and laughing at the faces they made.

Mt. Fuji

Crossing Rainbow Bridge and seeing Tokyo Tower (intact, as opposed to destroyed in balls of flame, anime style) I remembered those high school days, the bitch fic, and seishirou;s last words (aka, I prefer spaghetti, not quiche). Rainbow Bridge: SUBARUUUU!! KEIKAIIIII!!! SAKURA!!!

We were really lucky that day as the sky was exceptionally clear and we got to see an amazing view of Mt. Fuji. This view resulted in everyone vaulting to one side of the bus in an attempt to get some pictures.Me and the Hydrangeas

About an hour and a half later we arrived in Kamakura and stopped at the first temple on our list: Meigetsuin (明月院） Hydrangeas (アジサイ）were in full bloom everywhere so we all took many minutes for photos and youth like frolicking around the temple. Then it was back on the bus for a trip through very crowded streets to Kenchoji 建長寺。We had to hurry as we were on a strict schedule to participate in zasen meditation 座禅. We entered the main monastery and removed our shoes and were forbidden to speak. The cool wooden planks and tatami felt very nice on our feet, and we were lucky that there was a nice breeze in the meditation hall or else we would have all fried in the 30C heat.

We grabbed our cushion and proceeded through the long explanation given to us by the monk. Koji was on hand to translate into english, Kaneko sensei into Chinese, and then Ivy into Korean. Took very long... The monk asked if anyone had any leg injuries, and I raised my hand as i had been very apprehensive over whether or not I would actually be able to do zazen because of my knee. But i was determined to have this experience! He explained the correct posture and leg positioning, where to look, how to think (or not think, in this case), the use of the stick they use to hit students, and whatnot.

Then he knocked some wooden blocks together, rang a bell, and we began. Almost right off the bat I was in pain due to the position but tried to think past it, knowing I would probably never do this again. When the monk got up and began circulating the room with his stick, i got really nervous. When he would come near me my breathing would speed up and i would get nervous. As soon as he sat down again, i felt better. we did 3, 5 minute bursts of zazen but in all honestly sometimes it felt like hours. My knees and lower back alternated between numbness and sharp pains, so it was rather difficult for me to concentrate and achieve zen. The last time was the worst though, for as soon as i crossed my legs i began to shake and could not control the lower half of my body. I though i was going to get hit with that stick for sure, but maybe he pitied me b/c of my injury. Then we finished and it came time for all of us to stand up and head over to the dining hall so we could partake in traditional zen monk food, or 精進料理。But of course I had to embarrass myself and not be able to stand up.... When you move in zen you always have to hold your hands in a certain position against your chest. However, imagine you can't move your legs and have to get up without moving your hands. Not fun. Everyone had to wait around for me before I was able to get my legs moving and my knee cap back into place.

Then was lunch, which was actually quite good. We first had to take about 7 grains of rice from our bowl, move them in a circle over one hand three times, and then put them in this special dish. This is to represent the fact that even rice was once living, we are thankful for its sacrifice, and to feed the animals that are not eaten by monks (aka any meat). The meal consisted of a really good miso base soup with tofu, carrots, seaweed, and potatoes. then there was rice, pickled vegetables, and tsudanuma. While eating we had to sit in seiza or the zen position, both were very uncomfortable and painful for me. As you could eat as much rice and soup as you wanted, everyone had to wait until the gluttons of the group (aka Steven, Ping, Tae Wan, all growing boys who love the 食べ放題！(all you can eat places)) :)

Of course, when eating you have to hold each bowl in your hand, and can't make a sound when eating. Even the dishes have to be placed quietly. Once Mihi was too loud in putting down a bowl and the monk yelled at him. Finally everyone was done and we were able to put down our chopsticks (any part of the chopsticks thathad touched out mouths had to be hanging off the side of the table). Then they passed a kettle of tea down the line and we had to fill one bowl with tea and use one of our radishes to clean the dishes and then drink the tea. So basically, there is a reason for, if you touch a plate you have to eat something, b.c if you have to drink the tea that is used to clean your bowls, you don't want any food left in them!

Daibutsu and Me

After leaving Kenchoji we got back on the bus to head over and see Daibutsu 大仏(aka Big Buddha). Everyone gathered in front of it and we took a group picture and then got to go inside the statue. A little souvenir shopping was done before getting back on the bus to go to our last destination, Tsuruoka Hachimangu Shrine　鶴岡八幡宮神社。Saw some mikos, temples, bought candied grapes. From there on we had about an hour of free time so everyone headed down to buy some green tea/sweet potato ice cream and then get down to some serious souvenir お土産
shopping.

Then it was back on the bus, a rest stop, and then the greatest invention for a tourist bus EVER!

KARAOKE ON THE BUS!!

i don't think the people who were trying to sleep enjoyed it, but the rest of us (mainly me and Mihi) had a great deal of fun doing karaoke. We got back to campus and then about 10 of us headed back to our home station of Shimotakaido 下高井戸 to go and get our drink on at the local all you can drink place 飲み放題。It was a night of laughs and drunken falling, and great food. Poor Marguerite got umeshu dumped down her back after a kerfuffle with the waiter and we left two hours later severely drunk and 2000 yen poorer. Which is not bad at all, considering I drank about 9 000 yen worth of alcohol...

Home to bed, only to remember i had made plans to go to Asakusa with Ping and Koji on the morrow...

Nomihoudai

ASAKUSA/KARAOKE
浅草・カラオケ

feeling very hungover the next morning, I hopped the orange line to Kanda with Ping and then transfered to the ginza subway to go and meet Koji at the gate to Asakusa. He was late, but we met Kurimoto-san and browsed the hundreds of cheap souvenir shops and laughed at the huge masses of tourists and english speakers. The weather was about 34C, which was NOT fun with me being as hungover and sick as I was, so i consoled myself with an icy slush drink. Koji arrived and we headed over to the oldest amusement park in japan, Hanayashiki, 花やしき、bought some tickets, and rode some rollercoasters, tilt a whirls, and ghost trains. Then we went to this restaurant and ate the best okonomiyaki of my life before doing a lot of souvenir shopping. Then we got on the train back to Shinjuku and met Ivy and some other people for karaoke. 'Twas a great deal of fun despite the sweaty conditions of the karaoke room! Many songs were sung in english, chinese, japanese, korean, german, romanian, and russian.

Then i headed home to sleep into oblivion for most of sunday!


The Tea Party and Karaoke Part 2
お茶会；カラオケ２

Monday was the first tea party of the year. My group and I headed over to the local grocery store and bought some cakes and chocolate. The period was spent eating and drinking, Mina-san showed me her pics from Kyoto, and I made fun of Kaneko-sensei's green tea reputation. After class about 12 of us headed to Shinjuku to go for some karaoke. Even more funwas head the songs vacillating between mariah carey, koda kumi, AFI, green day, utada hikaru, Avril, and some BEP. After karaoke we went out for dinner with some new american friends who were in town visiting old friends. Dinner was excellent with much conversation in both english and japanese and Ping stealing our table's rice and Koji falling off his chair. The night ended with us leaving the restaunrant due to putrid cigarette smoke.

And then it was home again, home again, jiggity jig.

Nothing too special since then this week except for mine and Stacey's trip to Harajuku which resulted in new clothes for me and a white fedora. Tomorrow, Team Europe/German birthday party in Nishi Funabashi, and Enoshima on Sunday,

Maybe study?