Sorry for all the posts at one time folks, I feel bad for not keeping up on them. However, I cant use my laptop so i must rely on my host family's macbook and the Rifare building's super-slow computers. IT truly took me 15 minutes to sign into skype. Anyhoo...
By Wednesday I felt pretty comfortable with the bus system, so getting to school wasn't as scary. I actually did more homework than I had to, so I felt prepared for the first time since high school in class. I noticed today that one of the vending machines at the school carries POCARI SWEAT soda and water. The Japanese really do need to check if their english phrases make sense. Also, at breakfast my parents were watching "GOOD MORNING JAPAN" or whatever the equivalent is of "Good Morning America" here. They were showing this awesome and moving event where people were painting with huge brushes a rainbow and something about 9/11 memorial. It was very touching, until I looked at the band playing... their name was Funky Monkey Babys. No. Just... no.
Our cultural activity that day was Japanese drumming, which was a ton of fun! I got to bang on the drum that was about the same size as me, and got quite a workout in the process. Also, the vibrations from hitting the drum really hurt your hand. We had the class with some french students, that are also doing a language program here but have different classes. I have to say they were really rude, and i wanted to punch them all, or at least tell them to shut the hell up. But despite their efforts to make the event miserable for all involved, I had a good time.
It was also interesting, on the bus to the drum area we passed an area that was equal parts giant pachinko casinos (pachinko is kind of like a slot machine from what I can tell) , golf driving ranges (since there's no room here in Japan, there arent many golf courses, just driving ranges) and rice paddies. There are a ton of small cemeteries scattered in the most random places here in japan, such as in a rice field or behind a hotel. It kind of makes you think about how people relate to death and the dead.
As I mentioned on Facebook, I heard a Japanese pop star singing "Livin La Vida Loca." I will once again say that that song is not supposed to be sung with a crippling Japanese accent. Another song i've heard butchered in Japanese is "I love Rock 'n' Roll" or whatever that song is. Its the new theme song for a Pepsi commercial that keeps playing, and its painful to listen to.
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