I have now entered a scary phase where I think everything I do is routine and is no point in writing about it. This is NOT good as I am taking things for granted now. Nooo!!

This morning there was cucumber as a side dish. The taste of raw cucumber is gross but I force fed myself by taking sips of coffee every now and then. The force eating took a lot more time than usual and okaasan drove me to the station when we realised it was already 8:35am.

I was in time for my 8:44am train. I have learnt to sit at the opposite of where I go into the train carriage. The sun shines on that part.

In Japanese class, I was a bit homesick because of something we learned in class. Forgot what it was but it made me realised that I had not called back home for sometime.

At lunch, Moe-chan joined S, W and I. I had the egg tofu as my side dish. I love egg tofu. It’s very cooling to eat chilled tofu in summer. I forgot to bring my own chopsticks though.

In history class, we learned a new topic. Time flew by and class was over.

After class, I went to the Fukuoka castle ruins with some friends. It was so sunny that I wore my cardigan because I do not like getting sunburnt.

Here’s the sakura petal symbol for Ohori Park Subway station.

Hydrangeas are in full bloom around this period. Here’s me with my cardigan and new hat.

Didn’t do any research on the castle so was very blur when we got there.

Some gate

Parts of the old walls

Praying thingy, which is gated off

Oh well …..

Other stuff:

Butterfly

We can see Yahoo Dome from the taller parts of the ruins.

There wasn’t much *real* ruins, just lots of old stone wall and trees.

We visited the art museum near the ruins. Nothing much on show now, but starting Saturday, there will be a Ukiyo-e exhibition. Woopee!

I left the group at around six to go back. Next to the castle is Ohori park.

Actually, travelling in summer, you can get the best photos because of the sunlight.

On my way to the station, I passed again some building under renovation. Now this looks more like it.

Got the chance to snap Tamaki Hiroshi’s advert. ha ha

Reached home at slightly pass 7. The tuition teacher was going to arrive at 8pm. Short walk of dogs. Dinner, TV then at 9:40pm was awkward conversations with everyone at the table.

Had bath with grapefruit flavoured salts. Temper seems to be less easy to hide. Should have calcium.

Having problems with saying, “I don’t know (your question).”

They mistake it as “I don’t know the answer to your question.”

Okaasan drove me to school today. Turns out, she works for the capital index something something. Her job is to enter the prices of stuff into a bulky handheld machine and send it to the government’s something something department through her phone/ fax. I really have very little idea.

Today’s Japanese class’s teacher was humourous. Laughed a lot. Tried out my hat in class.

Was aiming for something ladyish, but my lower outfit doesn’t work out well.

At lunch time, I didn’t really know how the system works and I grabbed somethings onto my tray. The lady then said it was a set and forced me to get the soup.

It was 550 yen! In the end I had half a croquette and the raw veg left. I’ll choose little stuff next time.

Then History class. After that, I went to the post office near school to post my letter. The man there was very very polite and even said he would put the stamp on and mail it for me. But… I want to put the stamp on myself! >0< Oh, regular mail back to Malaysia is 90yen. Expensive

I walked back to the International Student centre for internet but the computers there were so so so slow that I was going to bang my head on the table. In the end, I went to the library for internet, then went to the reading area to study a bit and finish the grammar homework.

Along the way to the library

Daisies

Acorn

I’m very surprised that daisies here are weed. Oh, I wish we had daisies for weeds!

I left school around 5.40pm and reached my station at 6:20pm. I now use my camera as a watch– I point and shoot at random things and check the time it was taken. ha ha

I visited DAISO because it felt near. Good thing I looked for it from the station or else I would have walked a HUGE round to get there.

Pretty Tanabata decorations

I called back home (not Sabah… sadly) when I was done shopping. I walked really slowly and snapped more random pics

Tommy Lee Jones <BOSS> coffee -_-” check out the dustbin too

At the railyway crossing, okaasan and K was there with the dogs. I helped them walk.

Oh, okaasan suddenly asked me if I would like to go to Kumamoto or see lavendar fields.

I thought she was thinking of Hokkaido and I said, “NOO! Of course Kumamota’s good.” Then it was very awkward. Because yesterday, when I saw the lavendar plant, I said, “Ah, lavendar fields~ I would LOVE to see them.” Then okaasan was silent. I thought, SHIT! now she thinks she’s obliged to take me.

Random pics of plants and neighbourhood houses.

Those look more like they’re in America than Japan!

Oh, back to the lavendar fields. Turns out, there is a lavendar garden right here in Kyushu and it was in the papers. (Thanks ceiling cat) Okaasan asked if I want to change and it took me a long time of inner debate to reply, Lavendar please.

The tour includes 3 meals: breakfast: bread and juice, Lunch is pork and dinner is rice ball. ha ha. Then they have a all-you-can-eat blueberry feast (for 30 minutes). You bet I’ll eat ALL I CAN EAT!

The trip’s on July 27!! Will recharge my battery till it’s full and snap lots and lots of photos.

HAPPY Graduation to all who’s wore the square hat!

 Today is Tanabata.

Another day of school, for breakfast it was pizza toast, kiwi shake and coffee. It’s *real* adult coffee, not the 3-in-1s I drink at home. It’s made using a machine!

Today, okaasan let me ride her bicycle to the train station because she said it’s getting hotter these days. The bicycle seat is very high, I can’t even touch the ground while I’m on it. And okaasan is not as tall as I am. How does she manage to sit on it?

The inside of the train

Thanks to the bike, I had a few more minutes to use the computer in the library. But I couldn’t update the photos part because it would take too long.

In language class, there were four other students who came from level four. The clock in the classroom didn’t work and stayed at 11:42 forever and ever, I had to peek at other people’s watch for the time.

Lunch, I picked the shorter queue. I had some pork and egg tofu. Oh, in Kyudai, they supply free green tea, warm and cold water. I wish we have free green tea back at NUS :

Then it was history class, we’ll be having our test on Wednesday. Well,, it’s open book and I only have to choose one to study so.. haha.. it’ll be ok??

After class, some people went to the indoor basketball court to play. The court was so so so soooo hot. There was no air circulating and it felt like a HUGE sauna.

Some of us left the court as soon as we can. And we went to You-me Town. It’s pronounced you-meh, like the dog. It’s a big shopping mall and I was out to look for a hat, yukata and sunglasses.

Since it’s summer, there was a yukata fair.

modern, knee length

Oh, here’s a corner of their cosmetics aisles. Don’t you just drool??!

And here are the drinks section

And they sell MILO, 270gram for 348yen. which is around RM11.60. Faint

Candy

Tamaki Hiroshi looking very un-Chiaki sempai. AHHH! The things people do for money

Sakura flavored choc?

(from left) Plum wine jelly, veggie jelly

Cute carpet at kids’ section

Ueto Aya looking cute

In the end, I bought a hat and a bag (not on my to-buy list! ah!). Both fom UNIQLO at  1,000yen each. It’s quite a bargain.

There were sunglasses but none clicked with me. Oh, they were selling at around 1,000yen too. so cheap.

I got home at 7plus, the bicycle ride back was fun. Then it was dog walking. And I saw REAL LAvendar!!! It was only a small clump. I saw it’s purplish-blue flowers and pinched some of the flowers and it smelled heavenly. I’m soo in love with lavendar. Will take a pic when we pass there again.

At night, dinner was meat and pasta. Okaasan prepared so much, I’m getting wider even with all the walking.

Oh, I had pudding after my bath.yum

  There was a special report of the yamakasa festival. Here are the pics.

Another day has passed. A week has passed since I’ve been in Japan. It seems a lot longer, I wonder if that means something positive or negative.

This morning I woke at 8am. Ah, everyday I have to be ready at 8 (which is 7am back home) and it’s so good to sleep in. I took my homework down to the living room area because there’s 24 hours aircon there. The aircon is for the old lady dog.

Okaasan said she was going to 7-11 to post letters. I went as well and we bought ice cream back. When we got back, the son’s bicycle was gone. Turns out, he has ran away to his friend’s place because he doesn’t want to go for tuition.

I’m glad I have no little brother who’s in this phase.

Caramel ice cream

Pomelo sorbet

Green tea Kit Kat ^_^ didn”t get to try that

We had hot Japanese curry for lunch. Okaasan put too much rice on my plate and I couldn’t finish it. After lunch, we went to BOOK-OFF, a 2nd hand book store just nearby. There are other branches all around.

BOOK-OFF is not like the 2nd hand book stores in Bras Basah. It’s so clean, and all the books look really really new. You can get new looking comics at ony 105 yen, which is RM3.50!! The only downside is they’re all Japanese and I can’t ship all those I want back.

In the end, I chose The Little Prince, because it’s small and easy enough to understand.

When we got back, the son has came back but still didn’t want to have tuition.

Nevermind about that, I did my homework and finished my letter home. Then Chibi Maruko chan was on TV, it’s such a cute show.

Later, the tuition teacher came to the house. We had awkward conversations encourged by okaasan. hai hai

Then it was dog walking. I found out that vending machines have fake bottles on display. ha ha

Also, the street mirrors here are really tall. In SIngapore, I’m able to smile at my reflection, but here, even if I crane my neck, I can’t see the top of my head. so sad…

Oh, there was a scary caterpillar on a plant when we got back.

then later, it was dinner and more awkward conversations. Have to get used to those.

Oh, the Americans on TV here speak Japanese. ho ho ho! dubbed.

Written on July 05: Prescript
I have totally forgotten about my allergies to alcohol. Now I have rashes on my thighs because I drank too much. Last time I thought it was the weather that made me itchy. AAAAHHHH!!!

Watched a bit of <Maou> and don’t get it at all. The female lead character wears those black contacts that makes your pupil look bigger. In my opinion, if your eyes are not big enough for those, you look like a child.

An adult looking like a child is stupid-looking, in my opinion. It’s supposed to give you a look of innocence. But face it, you’re not going to be any innocent once you’re 20.

Took photos of flowers on the way to the station. Left the house at 8:30am, reached the school’s station at 9:10am. That’s quite fast.

Today’s Japanese class went ok. Just that I still don’t have confidence to talk. GAAHH. must must improve.

After that, was lunch. I had curry rice today. A bit strange, the rice is.

Will be going to a takoyaki party organized by Wawa’s tutor next Wednesday. My tutor’s going too and they invited Wawa and me. Wonder how a Japanese girls’ party is like. You’ll know next week.

Then it was history class. We watched a video on Lu Xun and Kita Ikkai (deshouka?). Now I must reach Lu Xun’s <Tale of A-Q> and <Madman’s Diary>. I visited his museum when I was in Shanghai. I was teary after walking out of the exhibiyion, he seems like such a great man.

After class, we went to the library. I updated my blog and sms-ed D and chatted a bit with N.

Afterwards was the Tanabata party. Tanabata is actually celebrated on July 7 (07-07). In Chinese myth, the Weaving Faries went down to earth for a bath in the lake. (Why earth’s lake?? Have no idea) A oxherd saw their clothes and hid one. When the fairies were leaving, the youngest (why always the youngest??! Stereotype!) couldn’t find her clothes so she couldn’t fly back.

The oxherd then told her that he has her clothes and she has to obey him. (So un-feminist) In the end she bore him two children and she did *fall in love* with him. But the Mother Goddess wasn’t pleased and took the fairy back.

Poor oxherd man didn’t have any free maid to wash his dirty laundry, make his meals and take care of his children so he went in search of her (bringing the children for extra effect). At last, he flew to the sky by wearing his dead (suddenly talking ox before shortly dying) ox’s skin like superman’s cape.

In the end, it’s a sad ending coz Ms Fairy and Mr Oxherd can only meet once a year when the birds make themselves into a convenient bridge for them.

(Alcohol’s effect still here. itchyyy)

In Japan, Tanabata is celebrated by partying and writing wishes on a piece of paper and hanging it on bamboo. My wish is to have ten more wishes, very practical, I must say.

Came back late and okaasan was so kind to drive to the station to meet me. arigatou

QUickly showered, watched some chim (deep) movie about cats and at 10:45 asked if I can watch Maou.

Ikuta Toma was so cheerful and cute in Hanakimi. I now notice he has bad teeth. The camera of the drama is unsteady too. Sigh. Shall always have his cheerful image in my mind.

Almost time for bed. Will be going to real tea ceremony tomorrow. Hope it goes well.

Love,
YQ
-shall drink less

I help walk one of the dogs when I’m at home during dog walking time. I think of it as exercise and it’s not too bad then.

On Sunday I walked Meri, the old dog, but on weekdays, the mom walks Meri and I walk Beni– a mongrel who likes to pee. (This is normal, as learnt from LSM Animal Behaviour but, sigh!!)

Me and the kid take the longer road while host mom trots with Meri on the shorter road.

The thing is, I have absolutely NOTHING to say to the kid. It seems really rude, and I should be making an effort but I can’t think of much.

Oh, the only time we do talk is when Beni poops. I would say, “AH!” and point to pooping dog. And that’s about all.

Well, he does play Maple Story, perhaps I can get him to talk about his virtual character. hmm…

Didn’t copy the photos into my thumbdrive. Won’t be using internet during the weekend. Will update on Monday! :)

Pre-script, I’ve been living in the past. I thought today is Wednesday, but it’s actually Thursday. GAAA! That’s the problem of being on holiday. Sigh

Now that classes have officially started, I find it hard to update my blog. Class starts at 9.30am. By leaving home at 8:30am, I arrive in class just in time to catch my breath. Then it’s lunch from 12 noon to 1pm. From 1 to 2:30pm, it’s class. By the time we finish, half the afternoon is gone. And if I want to go out to explore, I’ll have to sacrifice internet time. AHH!!

Anyway, I’ll keep on writing, even if I do not have time to post. I do not have the energy to write my diary on paper so I might as well keep diary entries on my computer, isn’t it?

I woke up at 5.10am. It must be because of the sun, my room has two large windows and both have the morning sun. I like morning suns coz you’ll wake up.

 I drifted back to sleep and finally woke at 7.10am to prepare. Small victory for me at 5 plus, I held my door shut when i heard the cat scratching at it! ha ha

I took an extra long preparation time today because I tried out the new eyeliner. My eyelids are troublesome because they’ll eat up my liner if I do it too thin. I looked like I had stage make up today. Ha ha

I had omelette and matcha toast. The toast was green in colour so I thought it was pandan. Ha ha, it’s actually green tea flavor but you can’t really taste it. It was interesting though.

It rained a bit this morning and as you know, umbrellas don’t really work. sigh. A large group of school children boarded the train when it almost reached my stations. I love kids, but a large group of school children is scary.

I got to class in time, thanks to LC and Som, they were both at gates when I got there.

In class, the teacher gave us a form to fill in and to read out it as our self introduction. It’s the very first time I talked to a group of people in Japanese. Broken Japanese, of course.

Classmates are interesting people who like Japan’s food, and pop culture. Like me! We’ll get along well, won’t we?!

I’m in level 5 and it seemed scary but now I think it’s still manageable. Ganbarimsau!

Lunch, I had some weird root vegetable tempura with udon. The veg is weird! It’s grey in colour and tastes so weird. >o<

Class at 1pm was ok. History’s not too bad if you think of it as an endless story.

After class, Som and I went to Hakata. Som’s shoe broke and we went in search of a convenience store. In the end, she bought super glue that was really super! Her shoe was glued in less than one minute.

At Hakata station, I saw the yamakasa kazariyama. It’s HUGE!!!!

Also saw Chibi Maruko-chan bus. so cuuuute

Oh, I also saw a lot of homeless people. It’s a shock coz they’ve never showed any homeless in dramas, I’ve not read about them. They looked really prepared with cardboard beds and bags of clothes. The thing is, they don’t really look dirty that you would think they are homeless. What is the government doing with this problem? Should I ask the people here about them?

Som and I went to Hakata Canal City. In the guide books, it looked impressive, but if you’re in it, it’s just so so. I saw lots of cool shops and the sales attendants were really hip. It’s scary!!!

Comme Ca Shop. Cool clothing shop with stuff I couldn’t afford.

It’s cool ceiling decor, such gorgeous colours!

After a stroll in Muji, we had coffee. 280yen coffee. faint, but we’re paying for the atmosphere too.

We then took a 100yen bus to Tenjin to take the subway home. I had to change to train after subway.

We saw ARASHI’s advert on the train.

I reached home quite late, it was pass 7pm. A bit embarassed about this, if I had a handphone, it’ll be easier to phone home. sigh.

It’s still a bit hard to believe that I’m really really in Japan. Not home sick too. Have I grown up??

Love,
YQ

To self, need to buy a bus/subway card. Riding’s eating up my coins.

Transportation here is so expensive!! A normal ride costs 220yen, RM7++.

Keeping a book of account of expenses. Money’s flowing out. Sob sob