September 21. 2004 20:10

Second day of school

Today we actually started doing something, though the day lasted only 1,5 hours. There's another exchange student in the class called Dion, we met at yesterday's party. Today he was getting his school supplies in the art store when I ran into him, looking for a notebook for a study diary myself. He seems a bit cocky, somehow, he complained that he had to buy lots of stuff he alreay has but didn't bring with him and didn't want to leave his stuff at the classroom, thinking someone would take them while he was gone. Maybe that's just my first impression, though.

The day started with me and him introducing us again. Or, for me it was the second time, but he hadn't been to school yesterday so for him it was first. Yesterday was a public holiday, but we had school anyway. After we got back to our seats, Ogawa-sensei started explaining the project we would have this semester. We're going to pick a subject, research it in groups, and then do a manga about it. (I didn't understand this from his explanation, I was actually told earlier, in plain English.) He showed some books that apparently were the manga the previous year had done and passed them around. (They looked very interesting, there was even one that had English translations. I would very much like to buy it if it's possible.)

After the introduction we were divided into groups to think about a few subjects to present to the class. Later on, I think, we will select the best ones. I was put together with a group of girls at the back, near where my table is. Even though I couldn't take much part in the conversation, I listened keenly, getting the general idea of what they were talking about. Every now and then they said a few words in English to explain some interesting idea they had. I heard them talk about at least onsen (hot springs), katana (Japanese swords) and ninja. At one point they showed me the Korean actor, that handsome man from the Winter's Sonata thing, though I don't know if he was a topic they thought of suggesting ^_^ (Some of them, apparently, are into him, like the rest of the country.) My vocabulary mainly consists of words I have heard in anime and songs, which might explain why I couldn't catch anything that'd sound more "regular". The Japanese lessons haven't been enough to teach me everyday Japanese words...

When we'd been about it for a while, Ogawa-sensei asked every group to write a few of their ideas on the blackboard. I would've liked to read what the topics were, but there were too many to write down for translating. Instead I took a photo of the blackboard, but to get that to the dictionary website I'm using is gonna take a while. After all the groups had been to the blackboard, the teacher suddenly ended the day and said we would continue tomorrow. The rest of the class was very glad, but I would've wanted to hang around for a little longer, because everything at school is so interesting. I'm almost sorry I'll be going to try out calligraphy with the Canberra group tomorrow. Since it was so early, I stayed to read a little more manga before I left for the Japanese tutoring at the International Office.

The tutoring seems to be interesting. There is no real class, but only one-on-one teaching, so it'll be a new experience for me. I'm not sure how it'll work out, without books and all, but I'll try my best. For today, we just talked with the teacher about what I already know and who is going to be in the Office and when, and what I was interested in and could bring with me next time. The tutor suggested that I'd bring manga that I had tried to read at home, so we could work on that. I thought it might be best to start by reviewing the Minna no nihongo books I've been using at home first, so I could make notes of the basic grammar (I don't remember it well enough to read effectively). I didn't bring my books with me, so I have nothing to review on at home, but they have all of them at the Office and I can read them there. The tutor took copies of the appendices in the books so I'll have something to read through at home, too. Then I just left, because I couldn't think of anything to study without any material.

And still it was only five o'clock, and there're no plans for the night, other than read more. I'm not used to having this much free time after school. I went to the art store to get a notebook for the Japanese studies and an eraser, then stopped at the cafeteria for a French bun and a coke (light, as I'm trying to somehow keep my eating in control... haven't been concentrating on dieting much, though). Then I just set out towards the dorm. I guess I'll just be reading today, which can actually be nice, because I might finish the book and have more time to concentrate on just drawing and studying. But before I bury myself in the bed with the book, I'll write about that weekend I couldn't tell about yesterday.

The Weekend

On Saturday we had made plans with Heidi to go and meet a couple of her friends downtown, have a dinner and go to the Soul & Jazz night at Metro. The plans kept changing through the week, as Heidi and her friend sent more and more SMS to each other and tried to fix the time. First I was supposed to come to Heidi's on Saturday, then Heidi had to go somewhere before the dinner and we agreed to meet downtown, then I ended up going to Heidi's anyway. The girl and her friend couldn't make up their minds about the time and whether they'd come to the Metro or not, and as Heidi's day-time plans changed the schedule for a bit later, they thought they'd drop the dinner. On Saturday they said they'd wait for us, though, and we finally met near the city centre.

The guy Heidi's friend had with her was an American who's teaching English here. My stomach made a funny twist and I felt an urge to giggle as he introduced himself as Giles. I've never heard the name being used outside the Buffy the Vampire Slayer universe, where it's the name of our dear old British Watcher, and I couldn't help thinking about him right away. I didn't dare tell him that, though, as he might've thought it weird, but it made me smile very broadly. He also told his nickname, which I didn't catch, but I ensured him, with another smile, that I'd remember "Giles" easier. My secret enjoyment of the name and the fact that Giles smiled very broadly himself made me extra talkative that night.

We went to a small restaurant that server traditional Japanese food, and Heidi's friend (whose name I've forgotten and shall remain as "Heidi's friend" for the rest of the story) ordered us drinks and something for dinner. She wasn't a person to look at the prices, it seemed, but it was fun to have someone just point at this and that on the menu and order it for us. It was fortunate, though, that this place was quite cheap (the total was a little under 2000 each), because I've now run out of money and for some reason, my Visa Electron doesn't work. It gives an error, something about "cannot verify PIN number", which is exremely interesting, as it is a perfectly fine new card and I have the paper with the PIN on it so it can't be wrong. I'll have to talk to the bank about it, but for now I've lent money from Heidi and am waiting eagerly for the account.

Well, we ate quite well, and I'd be glad to tell the names of all the dishes, but I really don't know them. Giles was an interesting person and made me want to learn a lot of Japanese, as he knew it so well. After the dinner he set out to go camping at Arahiyama area, which to Heidi and me seemed like a silly idea, since it was already very dark and the area has no lights anywhere near it. But Giles was determined to go on his little adventure on unknown land, so we let him do what he pleased without speaking out our conserns. Heidi's friend, that girl, went home, too, so now it was just me and Heidi left. We went to sit at Starbucks (my first time!) to kill some time before the Metro opened, but after we had been there for about an hour we felt so tired we decided to go home. For the night I slept at Heidi's place, so I didn't have to ride in the dark all the way to Iwakura.

The next morning Heidi left early for Osaka, where she and a few of her friends went to some exhibitions. Even though the one about Japanese contemporary art was really tempting, I decided to stay home and save my money. Instead, I went to the Hagi festival at Nashinoki shrine, which had a Noh and a Koto performance, and then to Heian Jingu where the garden was free of charge for the day.

The Hagi festival turned out to be a lot more than just a Noh and a koto performance. The whole things lasted for 3 hours and consisted of a Noh performance, a play, two songs accompanied by dance performed by a geisha, and two koto performances. I enjoyed the whole set enormously and found out that koto might get very near to piano on my top list of instruments. The clothes on the Noh character and the geisha were so pretty and I took, again, a lot of photos. There were lots of other foreigners as well, all taking lots of photos.

After the set was finished I left for Heian Jingu. As I walked to the garden gate, a group of two male and to female students came up to me and asked if I'd let them practice their English skills on me by showing me around. I didn't mind it at all, it was very nice to have someone to give some insight to the sights. Usually I have little idea of what I'm looking at, so this was a nice change.

The gardens weren't that impressive with all the crowd, but they were nice, nevertheless. I was more enjoying talking with the students, though. They told me that the Japanese word for the stepping stones across a lake meant the dragon's spine, and when we got to the bridge over the lake, they got me some bread to feed the carp and the turtles with. (Or is it tortoise?) There were a few really big ones of both species, almost half a meter, I think. The walk through the garden was over too soon (the route wasn't too long), but it ended with a couple who'd just had their wedding at the shrine walking right past us. The students told me that shrine weddings cost less than church weddings, though this particular shrine probably cost lots.

I said goodbye to the students at the main gate and since it was only three, I thought I might go to Nijo castle now that I had so much time left. The Honmaru castle, which normally is closed, should be open to public for about a week right now. As I was moving by bike that day, for change, going to all these places was a great excersice.

I got to the Nijo castle all right, and went through the main castle and the garden. The main castle (the one called Nijo) was interesting, though the only thing to see were the worn-out old wall paintings in the dark rooms; I enjoyed myself imagining what it would've been like if it were still full of life. I liked the Nightingale floor, which was built so that it let out a creak on the slightest step. But the trip as a whole turned out to be a disappointment, as the Honmaru castle was already closed. It was open from 6 to 15 and it was already four. Made me a bit mad as I'll have to pay the 600 yen again if I want to see the castle before it's closed for another year. Damn. But I wanna see it. (Even though it would only have more worn-out wall paintings.)

After leaving the Nijo castle right before the whole place was closed I decided to go take a peek at the Ginkakuji temple before I went home. At this hour it, too, was already closed, but I got at least a peek on what the site is like and when it's open. I was feeling like a little more exploring anyway, so a little detour on the way home was just fun, even though I didn't see anything. I thought about buying a cake from a boutique I passed on the way, but then decided they didn't look as good when I returned as they did on the first time I passed. Instead I thought I'd get some assorted stuff from the convenient store at Iwakura, ending up with a couple of buns and the tasty-looking but horrible bean paste candies I told about yesterday. And they were expensive, too... -_- Sigh, at least the buns are great, even though strangely dry and fluffy compared to their Finnish counterparts.

Well, that, I think, covers what I wanted to tell about the weekend. Now I'm going to dig in to my obentou box containing the left-overs from yesterday's party, and then try and finish my Harry Potter. Don't really think I can, but I'll try anyway. Ever so interesting, it is.