On the first of April I moved into the newly built Hiroshima International House Lw. I live on the 9th floor, and have a pretty darn good view, can see the Peace Pagoda on a mountain, see the shinkansen trains going by. It's quite noisy with the windows open, as the bikers are freakishly loud and the traffic noises, and frequent ambulances and police cars etc. Small price to pay though, if you ask me. Privacy and a good locale and independence are worth paying for, and it's pretty darn cheap to boot. Below me in 801 is Han from Korea, who's a new exchange student to Jogakuin. Then in 612 is Cary from Seattle, who I met at Kemby's. The two of us go out drinking kind of often, and Han sometimes comes with us, but in Han I have found more of the shopping buddy that I had been looking for. If you're not painfully thin and you want clothes in Japan, it's quite a task to find them. Found some good jeans at UNIQLO, and no one but Han and I know that I had to buy a man's size. (oh well, they fit anyway)
It seems now that I am having fun, time has sped up (which is technically impossible because time is not a bicycle capable of changing speeds, but it seems that way). School and YMCA and Miki in the daytime and Kyudo and going to Kemby's and studying and hanging with friends at night. The meals are okay, but that's mostly my fault considering I make them myself. I could try harder I guess, but since its just me, no one knows what a lousy cook I really am. Getting better though. Honest.
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I recently went to Jogakuin's "Orientation Camp". Basically it's a short retreat to make friends and stuff. I do not believe there is an AMerican equivalent. We went to a place called Green Pia, where there are nearby mountains and you can see the ocean, and a stretching valley. This is the beginning of funny story number one. Han and I went off into the sunny field and sat down on the crest of a small hill to eat our lunches. It was a nice day, slight breeze, and you could see the ocean. We chatted eagerly, weren't quite sure what to expect from this "OriCan". I saw, out of the corner of my eye, a hawk, a big big birdie flying low down the side of the nearby mountain. I pointed him out to Han and we ooo-ed and aaa-ed at nature's little wonders, that you dont quite appreciate fully until you've been without seeing them for awhile. Mr. Hawk began playing with the girls sitting on the field. He would circle and fly close to them and the would squeal. Now, you would think, given the nature of the beast, I would have suspected what was to come next. I'm just none to quick on the take sometimes. |  |
Moments only had passed, and I was basically just beginning to dig into the lunch box that I had bought. I didnt see it, I didnt hear it, but suddenly I got a scare that I have never had before. Mr. Hawk, playful little bastard that he is, had been flying overhead where I hadnt seen him, and swooped down from behind, over my shoulder and tried to grab my entire lunch. Little rice balls and stuff rolled onto the ground and the entire thing was knowcked out of my hands, just a little bit. Understand and realize, please, that this is a big big bird. I was a little slow to yell in surprise, something like "GAHHHH!". When you think about those massive claws, and the slight miscalculation on the bird's part that could cut a serious gash in my arm, rip out an eye, etc... you really have to respect the bird if not hate him at the same time for being so reckless. Anyway, Han was slower to pick up on what happened than I was. All around the field people were pointing in our direction, muttering amazedly at what had just happened. Han and I exchanged exclamations of surprise and irritation. Aaand then he did it again. Over the same shoulder.
"that's it. I'm going inside. Bye." I grabbed my lunch, now including blades of grass, and marched off the field. Han followed me. We remarked about how amazing an experience that had been, as we ate in the covered picnic area. Then we laughed meanly at the other girls as we watched Mr. Hawk and two of his friends dive bomb them at regular intervals. We turned away after awhile, but still you could hear, every few minutes, the girls screaming, short and surprised, from across the field. Not that I blame the birds. I mean, anyone whose eaten Japanese Bento Boxes will agree with me, if I were a bird, I'd come there to eat too.
After all that, we ended up sitting through two lectures and then going outside to play kickball. We had a great dinner, and there is funny story #2.
TO BE CONT'D