Well, officially break has started. YAY! So we have two weeks off and I probably won't be doing much, but I do believe that in the near future I will be traveling to Kyoto and to Tokyo. But first I feel that I have been lacking in updates. The last time I updates was around Thanksgiving, so it's been a couple weeks, but a lot has happened in those two/three weeks.
Mainly tests, I don't think I've done as many projects/presentations/tests at the end of a semester as I have done this year. With the fact I was taking 6 different culture courses that were at LEAST six presentations. And then language class I have a comprehensive kanji test and a comprehensive grammar test. Over all I think I did well, I was really pleased with my kanji test results; I scored the highest in the class! (Mind you there are like 8 of us… but still) I was happy with that.
As you all know my birthday was a couple weeks ago, and to all of you who sent cards/packages/wishes to me I am thankful. Even if I had a kanji test that day, when I got home I was surprise as my friends basically threw me a surprise party. It was funny, Gelsey was telling me that her gift to me was going to take me out to dinner, so as we're walking back to I House I'm trying to decided where I want to eat - as I am starving. When we get to I House Gelsey puts her stuff away and I'm trying not to smell the air because Lauren (the wiz at cooking she is) was cooking Chicken Alfredo. I mention in passing that it smells delicious and she replied, "Well if you give me like five minutes you can have some." I blink and shake my head replying, "I don't want to eat your food!" She then shakes her head and says, "This is your birthday dinner, Happy Birthday!"
At which I think I get pounced by the rest of them with presents and music. I eat my dinner (which was AMAZING) and then open gifts and party a little. It was amazing. Then the RA's Yuri, Yuko and Koko invite me to have dinner with them! They gave me a card, I can SOMEWHAT read what they wrote since it's written in Japanese, but it was really sweet of them.
I am sad that mom, Aunt Linda and I won't be able to take our yearly Girl's Weekend Out to celebrate, but I know next year will be extra cool! So I'm looking forward to it already!
So the next couple weeks pass, I take a few trips to Sakae and Nagoya and Osu, gift shopping being me main thing, I honestly wanted to buy a new camera, but the good ones are well out of my price range and I think I'll suffer through with the camera I have and save my money for the trips in Feb.
December 18th, which the last day was of classes me and Hamilton, went to Osu to peruse the monthly flea market, and might I add, IT WAS AWESOME. There was some amazing stuff that they were selling. Hamilton found a Japanese WWII Navel Officer's hat and jacket, there were also Chinese Uniforms and I think we even found some personal effects. Hamilton is a bit of a history buff so he was flipping out. It was pretty cool to hold and be that close to something. While there I think I got a steal on Grandma and Grandpa's Christmas gift! It's over 800 years old (assuming I heard the man right). So it is a little piece of history. That afternoon we had a farewell party for the students who are leaving us and then later that night had another Christmas party to open gifts.
Me and my friends only opened the gifts from Caylee and Jasmine who are going home for Christmas; everyone I said (at least from me) could wait until Christmas. So yeah. It was funny, Ro-chan also wanted people to open her gifts, and so she gave me her gift which I opened and I laughed, because I have gotten the same thing for Caylee. So Caylee and I have the same cup/plate set and we felt like the biggest and happiest nerds ever.
Then on Saturday, guess what happened when I woke up at 7:30 in the morning? IT WAS SNOWING!! I ACTUALLY GOT TO SEE SNOW! It was so beautiful. I have pictures of the nakaniwa and some of the areas around IHouse. Hamilton, Gelsey and I went back into Osu, we THOUGHT that the Flea market was going to be back, but it was not. So we wondered around the actual shopping district of Osu. This was awesome.
Today has been a sort of lazy day, I did laundry and straightened on up in my room it was looking rather sad. So, yeah, I'm going to post the pictures of the snow in a bit, so give me a bit! <3 Much love and merry Christmas from Nihon! Carolyn