Advertisement
Published: April 19th 2006
Isonoura
Post surf snap.. kiree desu, yo!I think one can say one has lived in a place for long enough when you know of better night spots to go to than locals in their own city... Yep, I think I am officially a Hirakata-ite! On saturday night we celebrated Jacqui (Aussie) 's birthday in true Japanese style with a jovial visit to my favourite Karaoke place (after some chuhai consumtion in the park - which is legal in Japan). It dawned on me that I am pretty much completely assimilated into life in this odd lil city. Light bulb illumination point 1: A japanese friend who was out with us crazy international students on saturday night was introduced to the best cheap karaoke place in Hirakata by yours truly, moment of light bulb illumination 2: showing Japanese students where the bathrooms are on campus, and 3, knowing which caffetaria to go to at what time to be able to find a seat... Sad, but true. I no longer feel like a visitor in this place!
I also had an opportunity to play miss-public-relations-officer/make-believe-diplomat-to-Japan on saturday. I gave a speech about SA at the CIE. Not quite sure how much of it was comprehended by the large
Cultural Exchange
Moi, Equador, Lithuania, Equador, Finnland. contingency of first year students, as I find it impossible to keep my speech at a second language english level. Sometimes I think it is just easier to be wordy and complicated than to speak simply! Curse my stupid english education!
I also had Japanese Easter this year, which roughly correlates to no easter at all. Well, almost none at any rate... First, I had to go to "school" on Good Friday (first time in my life!!!!), then I didn't get a single chocolate egg on Sunday. I did get a painted egg made by the little kids at the catholic church we managed to discover in the depths of Hirakata, doesn't have quite the same appeal as the chocolate kind... The church service on friday and sunday were kinda interesting. No kneelers in the church, no genuflecting (bowing instead) as you enter your pew and no english. Hymns in Japanese, hymn books thankfully printed in Hiragana (translation: the only easy to read alphabet in Japanese), and not too many strange pitying looks from those around me watching me trying to sing along...
Feeling sorry for myself about my pitiful easter, I made a solo mission about
Oishii??
Standard Caffetaria faire... Soba noodles in a broth, ebi tempura (battered shrimp) and I splurged today, doughnut... 2 hours south of Osaka on easter sunday, after church.... A SURF MISSION. Well, I must admit the surfing was a bit of a mission. The water temperature was not unlike ice and the wave size was not unlike the average japanese girl's waist. Was definately still worth the effort though, as it was a beautiful day and I made a new friend. A hawaiian actually... Yup, went all the way to Wakayama to befriend a Hawaiian. Well, there weren't too many locals who bothered to get in the water, apart from the madatory pack of begginner longboarders all together in one awkward corner of the surf spot.
Had hawaiian food for dinner which was delicious. Mmmmmm. Also tried out some other weird international food this week at my dorm: finnish pancakes, chocolate covered Matzo (passover this week)... I could get used to this...
Advertisement
Tot: 0.066s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 12; qc: 27; dbt: 0.0285s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Graham
non-member comment
translation
moi, equidor... translation please. um waves huge, hey what did i uncle ellis say about the waves hey. no easter eggs shame i feel your pain.