Hello Hello Halloween 2011

Kochi Bay

Katsurahama

 I've had the most unexpectedly busy last week of October! Last Tuesday night, my friend Goro, who is studying in Kyoto at Doshisha University, e-mailed my phone and told me he was arriving on a bus in Kochi the next morning at 11:30!! It was his fall break last week, so in an attempt to save money he came to visit me and another friend of ours who lives in Ehime Ken. I felt bad that I couldn't take Wednesday off to go and hang out with him... instead I had to book it to the city before Japanese class to pick him up and then dragged him to class with me. Luckily, my classes got cancelled Thursday so I took a half-day in order to show him around Kochi. We went to Katsurahama (beach), Godaisan (mountain), and I made him eat Katsuo Tataki (seared bonito sashimi) and drink a Yuzu chu-hai (yuzu are Kochi's famous fruit). I somehow worked a "boshi pan" (sweet bread shaped like a hat) into our diet as well, and he introduced me to "aisu no mi" (those annoyingly addictive pearls of frozen fruit). Friday I had to go to work again, so I took him into the city to Karaoke with some of my friends after work and then took him back to the bus stop to catch the over-night bus. :) It was a nice surprise visit~

Yasuda, Kagami, Kyujyomae, Shimoyama

Saturday night was Kochi's big Halloween party night. I was really excited to finally wear my mikan-chan costume out and do my make-up all dramatic. In all, four of us went as characters from the Kuroshio Gomen-Nahari line. It's too bad we couldn't get more people to join us, but I think our costumes looked good and it made people giggle when they saw our station signs. Me, Matto, and De- hung out in Chuo Koen the 3 hours before the party started (11PM) and talked while this KB guy kept stopping by and engaging us in conversation (he was totally into Mikan-chan, hahahaha). Once it hit 11, we headed over to Hirome Ichiba where the party was going on and hung out until about 1:30 when me and Matto went home. I got to kiss A-chan on the cheek and eat van burger before we left, so it was totally a successful night. :)

Me and Matto with two of the teachers from the international center where we take Japanese class. A big group of the teachers and students were dressing up like AKB48

Sunday, I had to wake up early to drive me and Matto over to Tokushima for practice. No new songs, but I'm starting to really love the four we have so far. The latest practice recording we have sounds pretty good, albeit muffled from my sweater, so I'm excited for the next practice! Both me and Matto have new songs to teach. I'm nearly done writing mine and just need a little help with the bridge and ending.

The most addictive dessert in Japan. Aisu no Mi

My itoshii from Mie Ken is coming to visit tomorrow morning (have to pick her up at 5:30AM from the station in the city...) and I'm very excited!! We're gonna do all sorts of touristy stuff and hang out. It's been over a year since I've seen her so, YAY!! Besty-reunion! All I have is one class today and a "farewell party" tonight with the BOE to go to before I have a four day weekend to look forward to. :)