Circles

So I figure it's about time I post an update.  I've been sadly negligent of my blog (is that proper english? I don't even know anymore...).  

I've been hoboing it around Tokyo for the last couple of weeks.  School then play everyday.  I've made lots of new friends, actually.  I met up with Joon from UCR and he introduced me to some people from Waseda University (where Arito goes) who studied at UCR last semester, one of whom is coincidentally Arito's former roommate.  Their names are Dan and Shima.  It's a small world.

And as if that wasn't coincidence enough, I ran into two Jodaiko members in Shibuya after hanging out with Dan and the clan.  It was so surprising.  Just walking down a random street in Japan and low and behold, some people from Cali.

But wait, it gets better, I was in Asakusa before the Gaijin 祭りand 花火大会 and I ran into Hideto from the Kendo Club at UCR! I sware, it's like I didn't even cross an ocean! Ridonculous! 

Apart from the random encounters of the SoCal kind, I've visited Odaiba to see the Gundam, been to my first Festival and fireworks festival, painted a handbell, done lots of shopping, and been to the Costco in Chiba... which brings me to my NEXT story!

So Jannice and I hooked up on Sunday to check out the Costco in Chiba (yes, they have Costcos in Japan).  We met at Kameido station around 10am.  We left the station at 10:20 or so.  We didn't arrive in Chiba until probably 2pm.  Why did it take so long, you ask? Because Nishi Funabashi is the Bermuda Triangle of the JR Train system!! 

We get to this station and the track splits (it also shares track with the Keiyo line) and hop on the train we THINK is the right direction... NO. It took us BACK a station.  So we get off and hop a train back to Nishi Funabashi.  So we hop on the other track and head in the right direction (after much deliberation over maps).  It stops at Minami Funabashi and everyone on the train rushes off and onto another train.  Usually that's a sign that something is amiss... but we thought, "No... This is right... This line ends at the stop we want to get to." So we stayed.  The doors close and we head BACK to freaking NISHI FUNABASHI! aaaaAAAHAHHHH!!! 

At this point we're bordering on hysterics.  So we get BACK on the train and head BACK to Minami funabashi and hop trains to take us ONE more FREAKING stop that the line we WERE on SHOULD have taken us to but DIDN'T because of some retarded weekend schedule. 

It was harrowing to say the least, but when we finally got there, we were QUITE happy.  I've never been so happy to go to Costco in my life.  It was amazing.  I came back with Nutella, cheese, refried beans, a baked chicken, and some potato salad!  I've been eating well since Sunday.  

So now I'm in the planning stages of Mt. Fuji.  We'll be heading out early Saturday morning to climb to our lodging, stay the night, hit the peak on Sunday and climb back down.  Arito mentioned an onsen... I imagine that will be marvelous! 

On a side note, I just downloaded the new As Tall As Lions CD and it's most wonderful.  Kind of fitting for my situation.  That band will forever be associated with Sara, Anthony, John and the other Taikonauts, but now I've got a new batch of songs to associate with Japan.  It's a happy blend of old and new.  

I'm definitely going to miss having Arito, Hiro and Jannice close by to call up when I want to hang with some familiar faces after I move to Kyoto.  Jannice will come visit, and hopefully Arito and Hiro as well, so that's a plus, but still.  I am excited to have Jannice stay with me sometime.  We can hit up some cool joints in Kyoto and rock the Old Capital together.  

There's a lot in my future to be excited about, I just need to keep my eye on the prize to keep the sad stuff out. 

I was watching Mushishi (an anime Anthony and Liz recommended to me) the other night and I got really excited for the rest of my year here and realized how quickly it will go.  

Life is good right now and I'm grateful for it.

Love until later, 

Caitlin D.