Been Busy...

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Hi, so, at the request of Mr. Jonathan Ching and Mr. Robert Fuke... you lucky people get another blog. I know I've been lacking big time on this communication thing, but I guess I've been busier than I've realized.

Well, the cherry blossoms are disappearing. The weather we've been having lately has been so odd that I wake up every morning and I have to go outside to see what the weather is like. It rains one day, then it's sunny the next, then rainy again, and so forth. It's still been pretty cold! It's already two weeks to May and the temperature's been hovering around 45-55 degrees! If we're lucky, during the day it will hit 60-64. But enough about the weather.

Let's see, what have I been up to? Well, last weekend I was pretty busy. I went out with my KanGaku friends from Pacific, studied A LOT, oh yah, I almost forgot! I went to a concert. I went with Dawn and Bryan and hmm, it was really interesting. Hamasaki Ayumi... I guess you can say that her popularity in Japan is equivalent to that of Janet Jackson in America. The venue was HUGE - at Osaka Jo Hall. But it was really interesting. Hehe, maybe the ticket was a tad too expensive, 7000 yen, but at least I can say that I've gone to a huge concert in Japan. It was really really colorful. Hehe, if you want the full details, you should read Dawn's travel blog... I can't quite remember as much as she did. Just do a search on travel blog for Dawn Yara (and read 'Hamasaki Ayumi Live Report'). Thanks Dawn! Hehe...

I went and did Hanami (flower viewing) with Okaasan and Yuuya at Osaka Jo. We went a little early - so the flowers weren't at their peak, but it was still a really nice outing. I guess I'm kinda disappointed with the lack of hanami I did. I was really hoping to be able to go all over (especially Kyoto) and see the cherry blossoms at their finest, but with the terrible weather hanami just wasn't as exciting as it should have been. Also, the rain made the cherry blossoms disappear quickly because they're quite fragile. So I guess that means I'll just have to come back to Japan again sometime in the near future for hanami! Cool thing: I got to drink Sakura tea and eat Sakura Mochi. Sakura (cherry blossom) actually has a really pleasant fragrant smell. The tea was sakura packed in salt - so yah, you guessed it, it was kind of salty. But since I LOVE salty things, the tea was actually rather nice. The mochi of course was wonderful. I don't know when mochi in Japan isn't great. Too bad it's soooo fattening!

Hehe, when I come home, everyone may notice that I've put on a few pounds... that is, if I keep up my terrible eating and snacking habits. I have, though, been trying really hard to go jogging at least 3 times a week. The first two times I went it rained on me. (=_=) I've really been able to explore my neighborhood - which is nice, until I realize how exhausted I am and then want to get back home, but it takes me about 10 minutes of jogging just to find a road that looks familiar!!

Hmm, what else... just been really busy with studying, meeting more new people - especially more Japanese students now that they've started school (they run on a different academic calendar from us foreigners). Been trying not to spend so much money since Bobby is coming up in less than a month! We're going to Tokyo and touring the Kansai area... Tokyo should be quite an adventure since I have absolutely no idea how things work in Tokyo... I'm rather comfortable with Kansai (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe and soon Nara).

Only a month and a half more!!! How insane is that?? Time has flown by so quickly I don't know what I've done with it - though at least I can say my Japanese has improved ten-fold! I'm sad to think about leaving, but I'm definitely ready to come home. I miss everyone! So with that, take care and keep in touch! =) I'll be writing more postcards this weekend since I've been slacking on that too. Sorry!

love always,
lexi

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Photos

Sakura Tea
The sakura tea Okaasan made for me...

Hanami
Sakura along Osaka-jo's outermost moat... oh yah, Osaka-jo is a castle!

Hanami @ Osaka Jo
Packed with people even though the sakura weren't at their best...

Random Tiny Buildings...
*edit* thanks to dawn... hehe, this is actually Sannomiya (Kobe). I just thought that those two skinny buildings were so cute and typical of Japan...

Comments

[mom]

miss you
idk but i think that you should stay a little longer, i'm enjoying my vacation and clean clean house. nah j is enjoying your fluffy red pillow. i am glad you are experiencing japan and enjoy it while it last because you will end up like me and go only every 5 years. what no pictures of bobs lov ya mom

[Miaka975]

heeeey i didn't remember that many things about the concert! O_O i just went home and typed up everything i could remember that day so i wouldn't forget it later XDD but yeah newayz..exploiting my memory losses :P tsk tsk *rambles on more* oh and that last pic..thats sannomiya XDD

[Jon Ching]

Your music appreciation seems to be growing. Good job!