Week Two: Classes have started!

Classes started this week... Well only about 4 of the 10 started that I go to each week. Monday and Friday were national holidays, so I didn't have classes on those days. And, Wednesday there was a Tsunami on the way, so classes were cancelled. Oh, and one of my professors was sick, so that class was cancelled on Tuesday. Ha, so classes really haven't started yet. Tuesday I did have one class, which was my Japanese reading and grammar class. I've already had that twice now, and I love my professor. She is the sweetest little Japanese lady.

Wednesday: Classes we cancelled because of the Tsunami. It never reached the Takarazuka/Nishinomiya area, so it was safe. It was even safe enough to go to the toy store, a specialty cake shop , and book store with my host mother and sisters. It was a very cute little cake shop, I got a really tasty caramel mousse thing! =] The cakes were gorgeous. Here's some pictures!!

Thursday. Classes ressumed again, and I had three! =] I enjoyed my other two professors a lot. My theatre teacher is a riot, and my sentence and meaning teacher is Japanese, but taught in Australia for 16 years. So, she has this Japanese Australian accent going on. Pretty sweet! After school, I gave in. I went and got some McDonalds french fries. I couldn't resist the temptation to have some good American fried food! Haha. =]=] Then I met up with some friends and locals at a Korean barbeque restaurant! It was delicious! I have never had Korean food before.

Here are some random pictures of where I live. First, is the view from on top of the mountain in our apartment building. The second picture is of the little garden outside out lobby! =]

 Friday. Day off from school, but it was pretty interesting! I went to my host sisters' school with the family for their athletic competition day. The entire school was divided into either the red or white team, and each grade competed in different track and field like events. They even had a few Japanese traditional dance numbers. It was very different from anything I've seen before. Oh, and we had a Japanese style picnic in the middle of the day in the gymnasium. I met a lot of the girls' friends' families. All of them were very nice, and welcoming. My Japanese is gettin better, so it is a lot easier to communicate, but I still have a ways to go. Haha, and considering I was the only blonde Westerner there, a lot of staring occured. Some of the children even stared, pointed, and laughed with each other at me. BUT, there were the two cutest little girls that kept looking at my smiling, so I walked over and said "Konichiwa" (good afternoon), and them thinking I speak English say "I'm fine thank-you." Haha it was very funny. Obviously they had been reading some English learning book, and remembered that phrase. It was so cute. Oh and one last thing about Friday, I ended up competing in the parents relay race=]=] I was very nervous with all the hundreds of people's eyes on me, but I did fine.

Saturday. I went to Osaka again with some friends. We went to a delicious ramen shop for lunch, and we had OKONOMIYAKI for dinner!!! =]=] It is my favorite! I think I already told you all about it, but I thought I would remind you of its deliciousness! We also went out for a bit for my friend Marin's birthday! She turned 21! We had some delicious Apricot Sorbet at the Yakitori! =]=]

Here are some pictures from Osaka. The first is of this sweet restaurant/ bar that had lego-like seating outside, and the second is just a view of a street in the Umeda area.

 

 Sorry this was so long! Love and miss you all! I pray that you all are safe, and doing well!