April 11 and 12

I figure it's been long enough since I last posted something. I really should be sleeping, but...yeah.

Anyway, April 11th was my first day of Intercultural Faculty classes. In the morning I went to Japanese Studies I, which was an advanced level Japanese class. I discovered that I was way out of my depth with this class, since I lacked the vocabulary to understand everything the teacher was saying. In addition, he had us go and read a website intended for kids, but since I barely knew any kanji, I didn't finish reading even half before it was time to present on what we read. Needless to say, I decided not to take that class.

In the afternoon, I went to 現代文化 (げんだいぶんか Modern Culture), a class for Japanese students. I wanted to try an actual class, but it was intimidating. Fortunately, some other exchange students and Japanese students I had already befriended were also going, so I wasn't alone. When we arrived, the lecture room was packed. Twenty-some rows of tables with seats attached to the fronts, and every seat was filled with Japanese, Japanese, Japanese. I felt very out of place. We managed to find seats in the back. I sat next to a Korean friend who had already been at Kobe University for one semester and had much better Japanese than me. The teacher walked in and began blabbering away, and I understood not a single thing he said. I tried taking notes once he started writing on the board, but between being far in the back and his writing shorthand kanji, which look nothing like the originals, I was completely lost. Then he started referring to a handout that none of my friends or I had picked up, so we had to look off the one the Japanese student next to us had. I didn't bother looking after a while. I gave up. That class was god-level to a novice like me.

Umbrella stands full of umbrellas are always a sign of rain. No worries--no one will steal these umbrellas.

Lunch: tea and pork donburi with egg sauce. Donburi means rice with stuff on top (meat).

The population of the cafeteria looks very different from America. It's very crowded at lunchtime. The lighting really makes it feel like a school cafeteria, doesn't it?

It's awkward to sneak a picture in a crowded room with more than a 100 students in it, but I've never seen a pencil case like this before, so yeah. Unzip and fold the back behind and it stands; Americans barely even use pencil cases!

Low-lying cloud sneaking among the sakura blossoms on this rainy day.

I think low-lying clouds are cool. Something about being able to walk through and touch something that's usually miles in the sky and somewhat ephemeral.

The view from the path behind LANS Box, looking toward the ocean.

The view from the path behind LANS Box, following the path leading down to Rokko Station.

The local cat. It gets a lot of pets from enamored students passing by.

Crossing one of the bridges on the way from Kobe University campus to Kokui Dorm.

Closeup on the waterfall.

Refrigerated package delivery truck.

Really blurry picture of an old lady cleaning graves at the tiny cemetery on the way to the dorm.

Entrance to a shrine on the way home.

Closeup

Parking contraption. Still don't know how it works. In front, a postman whizzes by on his motorcycle/moped thing.

It's labeled "Delicious Egg Tea Cake" or something like that.

Kirin is the brand for at least half the drinks in Japan.

Bought dinner from a 7-11 convenience store and brought it home. Karaage (fried chicken), croquette, rice, egg, etc.

April 12
 Tried going to the advanced level Japanese II Grammar. Also didn't end well.

Kobe University has 1) a horse-back riding club, and 2) it's on campus!

Lunch at the Intercultural Faculty cafeteria. Fried fish.

Japanese style toilet, a.k.a. squatty potty. Still haven't decided how I feel about them.

Another refrigerated package delivery van.

A bill I received from the university.

The instructions it has to open it. Peel open the front, flip over and peel open the back, and voila! A nice curly official bill.

Sorry to keep you waiting, and I hope you enjoyed this post~!