May 13

I’ve really been slacking on this diary thing, which is a shame because a lot of exciting/stressful/Japanese things have happened since the last full entry, which was on the 7th!!!!

I’ll try my best to tell you what’s up. Today, I went on a Nagoya tour of sorts. First, I went to Kojouji at Yagoto. It’s a shrine (which I went to with Cheryl when she was in town) but today, they were having a ‘street fair,’ which wasn’t much of a fair. In fact, I think I was the only one there under fifty. D: It was probably partially because it was a Wednesday morning, when most people are working/going to school. I thought it was pretty boring because all it consisted of was old people shopping for market food (vegetables, fish, dried fruit, etc.) and pretty boring flea-market quality clothes. On the way out though, I saw something I thought I wanted (which I ended up liking more and more throughout the day). Later I realized it would make a great gift for a friend, but when I went back to get it (around four) everything was gone and there was no indication that there had been a ‘fair’ at all. Anyway, when I bought it, I talked to the lady working there in Japanese and she lowered the price for me (I didn’t even ask). :D

After Yagoto, it was off to Motoyama to find Jouanji, another temple. This one was really surprising and very Japanese. I’ve walked by it before on the way to Kakuozan, but I didn’t pay much attention because the front gate isn’t very interesting, but in true Japanese style, beyond it was an elaborate shrine. Inside, there are tons of paths (and everything is surrounded by bamboo forest) and the place looks a little dilapidated, but if you go inside the shrine itself, there are individual round paintings on the ceiling and a giant bell on a giant pillow, as well as the elaborate alter. It was really amazing and very nice to be there since no one was there and you felt secluded in the forest.

I explored quite a bit and found a huge Buddha. Nearby, there were two cats, which acted really strangely. One was very friendly and followed me around until I walked out of the Buddha area. The other was hissing at the friendly one, but also followed me around. One time, it rubbed up against me, but when I pet it, it hissed again. They were really weird...

After that experience, it was off to Nagoya Dome to exchange okaasan’s orchid. After only two days, the flower had fallen off the plant and okaasan wanted me to go see if I could have something done about it. I felt pretty stupid (and a bit rude) going in and asking the cashier for an exchange, but she was really nice and even wrapped the second plant like a gift.

At the mall at Nagoya Dome, I went into the pet shop. Sorry, but OMG! Japanese pet shops are amazing, especially their fish department. They have tons of plants (unlike America) and everything is appealing. Did I mention they have tons of types of goldfish to choose from? The more amazing fish-related things were the tank of about a dozen and a half angelfish (whose fins spanned about the longer length of a dollar bill) and marimo (spherical algae growths). As for non-fish pets, the more amazing things were a kangaroo (yes, they had a baby kangaroo), a sheep, those newts with frilly gills, chinchillas, gigantic bunnies, and crickets that make weird noises (as compared to our crickets). I really wanted a marimo, but unless I can sneak it into a bottle disguised as soda or something, customs will stop me in my tracks.

After that experience, it was off to Kuramamichi to see Nunoike Cathedral. I saw pictures of it online, and I really wanted to see gothic architecture... in Japan!!! The church was huge (I had to stand across the street to get a full picture of it). Afterward, I visited the shrine (across the street) and headed off to my next destination, which was...

Italy. Yup, I decided to go to Italy today. It’s actually not that far once you get to Nagoya port. The only problem is; Italy was closed today. Yeah, so, in addition to all the maritime and aquatic attractions at Nagoya Port, there is an “Italian” village complete with gondolas, canals, the David, and what looks like theaters and restaurants. No one was allowed to enter the main area because it was ‘abunai’ (dangerous) and I think that’s because they were doing repairs. According to Okaasan, it’s not the season for it to be open. I don’t see why not though.

After that minor disappointment, I went over to the aquarium side of the port to check out what I could without paying entrance fees. There was a store selling nothing but ebi sendai (crackers made with shrimp; delicious!!!) and one selling tons of marimo (the algae balls). It was torture. Then, there was a capsule room (a room full of ‘gumball’ machines) where the most interesting figures were on display rather than in the machines.

After this, I decided to go back to Yagoto to get another of what I bought that morning (and failed, as stated earlier) and then to Osu (to check out kimono components again). Unfortunately, being a week night, Osu closed early and I didn’t really get to look at kimono much. I did, however, visit some of my regular stores, where I ended up buying things I had seen (and wanted) near the beginning of my semester that had been marked down considerably. I ended up shopping so long that I had to call okaasan (who told me to take my time) to let her know I would be late for dinner.

As for yesterday:

I spent most of the day going through papers and trying to cram everything into my suitcase. Okaasan thought I should go places since the weather was nice (clear but scorching), but I didn’t really feel like spending another day (and money) alone in the city, not to mention I had a burning desire to do away with all those papers I didn’t need any more. I was pretty sure I would have to buy another suitcase (ridiculous in my opinion) but okaasan suggested getting a packing box from a store or something since it would work just as well if I was only filling it with clothes (I think the papers can go in too) and I don’t need/want another piece of luggage when I get back to the States.

She also saved the dolls, pretty much. I just figured I would carry them through the airports, but that requires lots of bubble wrap and a bag, which I didn’t think of. Okaasan was a bit on the frustrated side since I hadn’t thought of this, but she helped me a lot. The bag she gave me is big enough to hold the two dolls, but not big enough to put them in (the opening is smaller than the volume) so I had to do some crazy maneuvering (and a bit of ripping the bag’s zipper seam) to get them in. I hope they’re alright; I had to tip the boxes a bit, which doesn’t seem good to me. Regardless, the dolls aren’t moving. They’re in glass boxes surrounded by bubble wrap, tissues (all those packages I got from people advertising outside the subway stations), and thin foam paper, then their paper boxes, and finally the carrying bag. I’m just hoping they’ve made it this far. D: By the way; according to okaasan, the post offices in Japan do not sell bubble wrap. I really couldn’t believe her when she said that.

In the evening (after okaasan had brought me a haggandas green tea ice cream) I wanted to ride a bike (I had been thinking about it for a while and it seemed wrong to live in Japan without riding a bike). Okaasan said the bike in the garage hadn’t been ridden for years and I probably couldn’t because there wouldn’t be air in the tires. Well, there was air in the tires (though maybe a bit less than premium), but the problem was the chain. After assuring her the tires were fine, I got permission from okaasan to borrow the bike and rode around the neighborhood. There is an internet cafe and a bookstore somewhere in Nisshin, but I couldn’t find them. All I found were parks, kids, and a Miata (and a MR2). I ran into the chain problem early on; about two minutes into my ride, so I took the bike home to fix the problem (and wash the black grease/dirt off my hands afterward). Okaasan asked me if I was done with my exercise so early (haha). Afterward I rode for about an hour and a half, until dinner.