Yonago weekend

I got to go visit my host family from high school last weekend, who live in Yonago, Tottori prefecture. By bus it's only about three hours, and the drive is really pretty now that everything's green! The hills are covered with trees and you can see hundreds of rice paddies along the way between here and there.

Tottori prefecture is the least populated of Japan's 47 prefectures. Its main claim to fame is a small pocket of sand dunes near Tottori city, which is on the east side of the prefecture (Yonago's on the west), about an hour away or so. We went there Saturday. The drive is really scenic, along the coast of the Sea of Japan. Along the way, on the north, you can see a few lone islands off the coast, and in the opposite direction are rising hills and mountains.

It's crazy to see the sand dunes right up against the green of pretty much everything else. I guess it could almost be thought of as just an overgrown beach, since the dunes area is pretty small and right next to the water. (I would have guessed maybe a square mile, but Wikipedia informs me that the area is about 30 km sq. We only saw part of it after all.)

After the dunes, we visited an exhibit of sand sculptures. Obviously, the theme was Africa. Sculptors from around the world participated. The exhibit goes till next January! I'm amazed they can depend on sculptures to last that long.

Midnight adventures

Last night was one of those spontaneous adventure nights. I was with a few of the guys from the Kobe Ward last night, we watched "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," and then since it was only about 10 we went out on the town. We went to Rokko Island (a man-made island south of where I live) to find a McDonald's there, and though we finally found it, it was closed just a few minutes before. I hadn't been to Rokko Island yet though, so I was glad I got to visit.

Next we went to a reliable 24-hour McDonald's more towards the middle of town, and we got milkshakes and 8 McPorks, which are fairly popular among us recently, and then, having decided to order a few more, drove directly into the drive-thru again. It was funny at the time...

We took our goods to Port Island, another man-made island that is home to an Ikea among other things, and then wandered around trying to find a vending machine for drinks. Usually they're everywhere. We were hurrying to find one by midnight (since the next day was Sunday). I thought we were just looking for a good place to sit down and eat, I'm still kind of a step behind sometimes. No different from home then, you're thinking, hahaha.

Anyway, we got our drinks and then sat down in a plaza by a hotel, it was empty and dark with a big fountain monument thing that probably looks cool when the fountain is on and you can see it in the daytime. Then, after eating, we started to take a walk on the island, heading south. Port Island is kind of a misfit place; maybe it's better in the daytime but the place is kind of all dressed up with nowhere to go. It's sort of lonely; there aren't a lot of businesses and people there like there should have been. Almost like a ghost town. It even has a dedicated rail line running around it and stuff, but it just hasn't really taken off yet for some reason. Something about the land being expensive and inconvenient or something maybe, I'm not sure. I'll have to read about it on Wikipedia I guess.

Anyway, we walked and walked and walked, and eventually walked across the bridge on the south of the island that leads to Kobe Airport! Ironic, seeing as how I bought my return ticket home the same day. (Well, the previous day.) It was like five miles or so round trip from where we parked originally, to the airport, and back. We finally got back to the car around 2:30 AM. Smart ones we are, as church starts at 9:40 for them and 10:00 for me! I'm tired now...totally worth it though.

Japanese dates and other things.

Japan has a unique calendar system. The Western system is in common use, but many notices and forms use Japanese years, which are based on the Emperor's reign. I was born in Showa 57. It is now Heisei 22. The first year of an era begins the day after the death of the previous emperor, but ends on Dec. 31 as with the common calendar.

1989 is an interesting year in the Japanese calendar. Showa 64 began and ended in January 1989, with the death of Emperor Hirohito (now known as Emperor Showa). Only a few people in Japan can say they were born in Showa 64 as 1989 shortly switched to Heisei 1, which began Jan. 8 along with the reign of Emperor Akihito. Coins bearing a date of Showa 64 are uncommon and collectible.

Some other random Japanese characteristics:

You can rent comic books and CD's

The streets are clean

Rice Krispies go on salads

Chalkboards are still common in schools (at least my school)

When you pay for something, you usually put your money in a tray, you don't hand it to a cashier

When you buy something, it is either stickered or, if it's placed in a bag, the bag is often taped shut

University classes are once a week and 1 1/2 hours long

Japanese drive on the left side of the road

Just about everything you buy is smaller than its American counterpart, except for carrots, which are usually fatter, and manga magazines, which are more or less the size of telephone books

Small fruit/vegetable shops are really common

Muzak versions of pop songs playing in supermarkets (I even heard one from a video game)

I'm pretty much used to all of it by now, to the extent that seeing someone drive on the right side in a movie threw me off for a second!

Golden Week

One fun thing about living in another country is that holidays tend to come up from behind and surprise you. For example, you suddenly find out that there's no school the next Tuesday or whatever. So it's fun.

As for Golden Week, which is this week, I actually knew this one was coming. Basically, there are a few holidays right in a row, so millions of people take time off and travel and clog up the roads. One family from the branch took a trip to Tokyo Disneyland. I hope they're able to have a good time!

Instead of traveling, I'm hanging around here, though there had been talk about going to Shikoku or something. It didn't work out, but no big deal. I'm hanging out tomorrow, and there's a BBQ Tuesday. Wednesday's off as well, but Thursday I have class. That will be the only day this week, woo hoo!

There was a holiday on Thursday, right before Golden Week. Why didn't everybody just take Friday off too, leading up to Golden Week, and do the thing properly? Dunno.

I hear there is a "Silver Week" that is a little shorter. It takes place in August or so. From what I understand, the government established it a few years ago to encourage people to take more time off. They definitely have a good work ethic here.

**crickets...**

Hello everyone, or at least Mom, since I think at least she's still out there somewhere... Some way to begin my blogging debut, eh? Better late than never they say.

So...

How is everybody...?

I feel bad; it feels like a party was set up in my honor and I didn't trouble myself to show up until the snacks were mostly gone and people started going home. I'm sorry about that. I regret missing the opportunity provided to me.

That being said, guess what! There are still over 3 1/2 months to go! There is still plenty to do and talk about. I've been dropping the ball for almost 7 months now, but truly, I'm sure many an interesting blog has been written for adventures even shorter than my remaining time, so I'm giving myself a chance to pick up the slack now and make something of it.

All right, enough... Let me tell you what I did today and let's go from there.

I woke up, way tired but more or less on time (I stayed up waaay late reading the internets) and got ready for church. It takes me about 40 minutes on foot to get there. I make use of the time by listening to Primary songs in Japanese and reading the Liahona in 日本語.

I have blessed the sacrament almost every week in the branch since I've been here. The Kansai Branch, named for the Kansai region of Japan (Osaka-Kyoto-Kobe), is about 35 members, though we are not lacking for diversity. We represent Canada, Japan, The Philippines, New Zealand, Ghana, and America. After sacrament meeting, it being a fourth Sunday, we had priesthood meeting and Relief Society. Because the branch is small, many adults are teaching, so this is the compromise. In addition, we only meet for about a 2-hour, 15-min block. Often after we're finished, I'll go slip into the chapel and catch the end of sacrament meeting in the Kobe Ward. (They are about double our size.) Today, however, I did home teaching instead. My companion and I teach Pres. Taniuchi and his wife.

After the Kobe Ward gets out, I tend to hang around and talk with some of them. Today we ended up going to Keisei's apartment (our second home) and getting a bite to eat. "We" includes myself, Keisei, Takayama, Makito, and "Han-chan," who was recently baptized.

We then headed back to the chapel, which is also the stake center, for stake priesthood meeting. I decided to listen to Pres. Taniuchi's translation, but decided I was okay without it, though my understanding sure isn't perfect. He was only translating for me anyway. As soon as I let him know, though, somebody else from the branch who isn't pera pera came in and sat down, so he had to continue his task!

Toda-kyoudai (Bro. Toda) gave me a ride home, not for the first time, and back here at home I got a bite to eat and commenced my blogging repentance.

Sakura anyone?