Back in Japan!

I'm back in Japan for a three week holiday!
Can't believe my last blog entry was in April. 
To be fair though, I had nothing to report other than "uni is so hard, I hate uni and my degree."

I haven't quite stepped foot in Tokyo since I've been back in Japan but over the weekend I went to go see Ralph in Sano-shi. 
I've never really seen rural Japan before nor have I considered traveling there on my own, but I'm grateful for the opportunity to do so!

Most pimped out bento box I've ever seen. It's got a drawer for tempura and tofu.

Seeing the transformation of Japan from Tokyo in a train is simply spectacular beyond words. 
I wish I could have taken some decent photos of the beautiful rice paddy fields, mountains and the setting sun but taking photos in moving vehicles is not exactly a skill set I've yet to acquire. 

Being outside of Tokyo has definitely opened my eyes to a different side of Japan. 
The trains are still prompt and run quite frequently contrary to my expectations. Public transport in rural Japan still manages to trump the bus system in Auckland, that's for sure. 
I'll probably return to Sano to visit Ralph again some time and when I do, I'll try and take one of those cool panoramic photos of the rice paddy fields and mountains.

Coming back to Japan is an entirely different experience altogether. Nothing has really changed with my Japanese friends or my host family, so perhaps that is why it feels that I never left.
It truly goes to show how much the people around you shape your experience in a foreign country.

melon then...

melon again, two years later. 

I still remember how to top up my Suica. I still remember how much everything costs.
I still remember how much I love Japanese food, and my fascination with taking photos of food.
I also remember why I loved Japan so much- it changed my life two years ago and its certainly doing that again today.  

Being back in Japan has made me reminiscent of my exchange days. I loved meeting new people everyday, facing new challenges and being exposed to endless entertainment possibilities.
I miss my exchange friends quite a bit- Japan is undoubtedly different without them.
It will be quite weird when I visit school again.

As a welcome present, Maki's mum bought me a ton of Japanese books for me to read. Might start blogging about each book as I attempt to finish one a month. I'm painfully aware how much my proficiency has slipped. It's a disappointing yet much needed wake up call to start setting aside time each day for Japanese revision.  


I finished Kafka by the Sea in two months (it was a two part novel), so this goal is not exactly impossible to attain. It's feasible if I just leave the internet for a good half and hour or so and immerse myself in Kanji and confusing grammar structures.

Lunch with Maki's mum   

So far, I'm halfway through 秘密, a novel which explores a man's struggle to live with his wife and daughter who both conveniently have switched souls after a tragic bus accident. Yeah... my experience with Japanese literature so far has been quite ...interesting. 

Despite the long hours in tea ceremony classes at school in Japan, I still mix up the rotation scheme when drinking tea. Turn the bowl away from you when you drink? Or turn it towards you three times at the end? 

I had planned to revise Law everyday while I'm here. That plan's going well isn't it?  
The only progress I've made with Law is opening Cecil (the uni student database) and checking for announcements on the upcoming moot assignment. Progress.

But of course, Law can wait. Japan can't.

All my love always,

April