This is my short weekend. Was 11/24-26/00. Is interesting that I took part/viewed two of Japan's arts, Sadoo and Kyudoo, in one weekend. Maybe I'm becoming worldly or something.

Friday I had evening plans. I had met my YMCA teacher by chance at a bus stop one day, and she invited me to her home for dinner. The meeting time was to be 6. so at 5 I began to shut things down on ye olde pa-so-con (japenglish for personal computer) when, quite naturally the computer froze. So yes, like the keitai, had it for a length of time measured in hours before breaking it. Control-alt-deleted a few times, and when nothing happened,I shrugged and knew I had to yank the plug. Not a great thing to do but�c

But that didn�ft matter because this didnt work. The screen mocked me, quite a tease this computer is. �gcomputer is shutting down�h it said. Lies. All lies. I blinked and then realized the damn thing was running on battery. I gave it a dirty look (to no avail) and thought. Pressed all buttons. All buttons. Thought. Then, all buttons again. Pride gave way at 520. I asked for a screwdriver from the library ladies. (No, not to stab the computer with, I know that�fs what you were thinking). They would not give me one. Why why, I don�ft really know. But they would not do it. They tried all the same buttons I did. Except they tried them longer, as if they could not accept that they would not work. The clock, of course, marched on. I refrained from doing a mad, jumping-up-and-down dance of frustration (also had to go to the bathroom quite a bit by the way). See, amazing will-power. Went to student office (that I have never been to, incidentally), and a man there looked it over and pressed and held a button. Magically, it worked. The computer did restart, but at least it was moving again.

It was explained to me that computers sometimes froze (are you kidding, BG is a veritable winter-wonderland with all its frozen screens). Fought urge to snap �gthanks,�h and run to bathroom. Eyes were watering, but I was polite and not rude, because I genuinely was grateful. Escaped finally from said office at about 540.

Ran to bus stop and stood, staring at nothing in particular. Had entertained the notion of walking for about five seconds. The hill of the school is the same as the one Nishimura Sensei lives at. I looked at the steep grade, no end in sight to its curvy slope and new it was ridiculous. With my backpack and pasocon, I�fd collapse in a sweaty panting heap before I got out of eyesight of the main gate of school.

Unbelievably, I was actually not just on time, I was early. Was so pleased, because I still had time to find quick gift for host (is Japanese etiquette). Was foiled when I ran into Nishimura Sensei in the Poplar (quickie mart) as you clearly can not buy gift for someone when they are standing right there. Is a bit odd. To say the least. So went presentless (is rude I think, but as I am a gaijin, she probably assumed I was ignorant of that custom. Thank God). Had lovely stew and her baby (eri) was a mommy�fs girl, banging things, leaping about, hands raised in �ghold me hold me!�h gesture, and she would squeal when attention was not paid to her. Ahh kids. Left, got home, cleaned, studieda bit and crashed.

Woke up at butt-crack of dawn to leave at 800 in order to make the meeting that morning at Hiroshima station at 850. Forgot the map to the Sadoo (teaceremony) and dropped Mayu�fs pendant on the train (found it though!) and told Aya that though I asked her to be a temp host fam person, plans had changed and Imai had already told someone else they were going to be it. Was shaping up to be shitty morning, I can tell you. So then we saw a group of people headed all together, and we all recognized someone so we followed them and luckily got to the Ueda TeaHouse (reconstruction of feudal tea house/garden). Proceeded to sit in seizan for a hellish twenty minutes. We then walked around in guided tour of garden, was informed I could not take pictures because it was rude (I think that�fs what was said). After we returnd and sat in seizan again. At first I was happily in the back so I could adust freely the position of legs and people in charge would be none the wiser. Hah. Harada-Sensei beckoned me to join her as she had an excellent vantage point in the front. She told me that I could sit on my side (can not explain this concept, sorry) if I wanted. I did for a few moments, but then saw people struggling with the pain of the other side of the room and sat up again. She began to say no no, it�fs okay. But I told her, everyone else was trying their best, I felt bad for them and kind of �ewell if they have to do it, why should I be exempt just cuz I�fm a gaijin?�f SO I suffered. Oh boy did I. The tea ceremony was interesting, and every movement the guy did was just so and just so. The tea was good, and the omochi was excellent, but trying to follow Harada sensei�fs example ended with me having omochi smeared more on the paper than in mouth. Oh well.

After the ceremony finished I couldn�ft stand up. My legs, my knees, my feet, were an agony. After a few seconds I could get to my knees but I had to get help to stand. Even standing I felt I would fall over. After a minute I did a bizarre shuffle-walk which consisted of gunslinger style hip-swagger because I could not bend my knees and had to move my legs somehow as my feet slid across floor. Hobbled to the door and got my shoes on somehow. Aya and Mayu and I went to a great restaurant for lunch and had a good time. Then I had to say bye and meet some students who wanted to go to BG and had lots of questions.

We met at the fountain of the station, and they motioned me towards some gaijin (Americans or Canadians) who wanted to go to the peace park. I knew, because I had found it on my own, but wasn�ft sure how to explain it to them. Directed them to the streetcar, told them there were maps over there and told them which streetcar to take and stuff. When Aya poked me lightly and pointed to the coming streetcar whilst I was still explaining to them, I turned to her and said �gIt�fs probably fine, the next streetcar�fll come along in a minute, right?�h She looked back at me blankly and smiled. I realized I had asked her in natural English and she hadn�ft understood a word. Was really funny, I didn�ft even notice I had switched languages until after I had spoke. Anyway, Miki and Yui and I went to Miki�fs house. We chatted about lots of stuff, and I was probably no help at all. We had pizza, watched Tarzan in Japanese voice-over, walked Miki�fs dalmation. Had fun.

Of course, I realize I now know and assosciate with three people named Miki. Which is strange in my book. Sunday was the Kyudo shiai (a match). Got up and out by 620 in order to get to the meeting place by 720. The entire thing was over and we were back on home turf (Hiroshima downtown area) by around 5 I think. It was really freezing in the morning but as it became afternoon, the beautiful weather made me so sleepy. The sun was so warm adn bright I didnt dare sit down too much because I knew I would be out.

I and the first year students only watched. We got arrows from the targets sometimes too. That was all pretty much. But it was kind of fun. Reminded me of band trips kind of. The school that the shiai was held at was huge and really pretty with wide-open spaces. It could have been an american college. I was the only gaijin to be found there, not surprisingly. Learned proper arrow retrival techniques, got to run around all day in my hakama, and yelled "shot" with everyone else from our school every time someone got a hit. At the end, to my surprise, the lot of us stood in a large circle on the green and had to introduce ourselves with our personal info (school, major, year, something else that I couldnt understand). Was not too hard but they were saying it in keigo sometimes (really polite forms that I dont know) and so I just steeled myself and waited for my turn. It came and went in a flash and I didnt say anything incrrectly but I left out a lot. But I did mention that I was an exchange student, so I'm sure they got the picture.

-Me and Miki at shiai kyudobu people sleeping on train-