Day 5

Well today can only be described as busy. Although before we started our busy day we started off with an interesting breakfast. It contained a lot of the normal Japanese breakfast elements, but we also has a mizo paste that was cooked on a giant leaf at the table. Very interesting and not that bad with the rice. We took an early morning train out of town and then we had to catch a bus because apparently there had been a mudslide that covered the train tracks. The bus was ‘fun’ because they had no places for luggage and so we had to stack it in the aisles. After the bus ride we had two more trains and then we took a public bus to the gardens. They were very beautiful. There was a lot of green and water, little streams and waterfalls were everywhere. Amanda went and participated in a tea ceremony and I took pictures. I think that the tea they have is pretty gross so I didn’t participate and I will be in one later in this trip anyway. After the gardens, which we got to stay at for a few hours and enjoy we took the public bus back to the train station. This train was a long one which we took to Miabara. We have to sit in the non-reserved seats and the train was really full so I sat next to this Japanese lady and no one else was really around me. When I sat down I spoke Japanese saying “is this open” and “thank you” and I guess she must have thought that I spoke Japanese, I explained no but she still wanted to talk but she didn’t speak English. I called Susan over and she got us started. Then she left me with a Japanese to English dictionary. Now normally this wouldn’t be a big problem except the woman her name is Yasco anyway she didn’t know Latin characters so it was a lot of her saying a word many times till I could repeat it then I would look it up. It was really fun and such a challenge. I learned that she was 58 had three grandkids she doesn’t work but her husband does. Then she asked if it was ok if she ate dinner, and of course I said yes. She proceeded to stick random things in my mouth and then tell me what they were. I wonder if she does that with her grandkids, of which the oldest is three. Conversation was hard but interesting and I am glad that the train was full. After this train we had another short ride and then finally we took a subway to the area by the hotel. This hotel is a Western style hotel and we even have bathrooms in our room. For dinner we went with 3 students from Nagoya. Amanda and I got paired with 3 freshmen because we didn’t drink and here the drinking age is 20. We went to a yummy place for dinner where you pick your dinner out of a vending machine and it then prints you a ticket that a waitress then picks up. The girls were very sweet and we made small talk. After dinner we went over to the arcade where we took group pictures in this huge picture booth. After this it was home and to bed. Well, until tomorrow.