I am going to really try to be more diligent with this from now on.
So I managed to navigate the larger train system in Japan and have now successfully completed a visit to Adryn in Imaichi. I was very happy to see her, and happy to do some real traveling by myself (as if the plane flight over wasn't by myself). The great and unexpected part of the trip was that I was allowed to go with her to school on Friday and see what its like to be a JET, and what a real Japanese high school is like. I'll give you a hint, like Adryn says it is exactly like a drama. I really really enjoyed it, I got to introduce myself in Japanese to the teachers and then go around to all her different classes with her. I also got used as a teaching tool and got to speak to the students a bunch. Very slowly of course but it was still pretty cool. The studentd were very cute and would dart down the hall just to greet Adryn, and then would just as enthusiaticly greet me as 'person I don't know!'. All in all, wonderful experience and I deffinitely want to do JET. After school we went shopping together in Imaichi, and we had some sucess, I bought this ridiculous but wonderful pink and black vest and red ankle boots. YES, shoes that fit me in Japan. And I'm only a LL. We then had dinner at KFC because we were curious about how different it was from American KFC.

On Saturday we got up and went down to Utsunomiya so we could catch a train to Tokyo, and had some seriously delicious gyoza for lunch. The train ride was a bit long (for me used to being able to get to two fairly major cities within an hour). But we finally made it to Tokyo and found our way down to the Nissay Theater. I was very excited because I had managed to procure us tickets to Imai Tsubasa's stage show, which I had only been talking about going to for maybe the past year. Its a very sparkly Johnnys thing, but I've just decided that I don't care if everyone thinks I'm silly. It was awesome, and I was so glad I went together with Adryn instead of by myself, because these are always more fun with someone there to appreciate/heckle with you. I spent money on concert goods and all was happy. Afterwards we went to Shimokitazawa for dinner (FANTASTIC Indian food). This is were Scribe lives but I didn't get to see her this trip.

Sunday we spent going up the mountain to go see Keigon falls, which took a while, and a toll of Adryn's car. I hope it will be alright. But the falls were really stunning and we had a good time chatting on the way up and then back down. Then it was back to the Shinkansen for me and back to school, and BLARGH midterms. But I've managed to overcome the Japanese language ones, and now all that is left are my afternoon classes.

This week I think I'm finally feeling settled a bit. I think talking with Adryn gave me a lot of perspective, because she knows me pretty well and was able to give me some good insight on what my problem has been. So I think that I will make it, and continue on into the next semester gracefully. I hope I will get the chance to see Adryn again, and also see Scribe soon. It is nice to spend sometime with people who I really know well, and can talk to about deeper things because I know they understand where I am coming from. I'm still trying to sort out what exactly my New Years plans are, details and everything. But I'll figure it out soon.

ITS OCTOBER!
That means its time for a trip to Nikko to see Adryn. Which means figuring out the gosh darned shinkansen. And how unfair it is I go almost the entire journey on the Tokaido shinkansen and then for two stops have to be on the Tohoku shinkansen which has trains that I completely don't understand. I'm hoping the JR people will just, figure it out and put me on a train that gets me to Utsunomiya. Because I'm already having some trouble with the route to Kyoto-eki, which includes me getting from one stop I know, to another I don't, using a line that I can't find the name of. This may require some experimentation. Glories of the Japanese train system. So many trains, so little time. taking the 2:30 shinkansen should give me a half hour cushion, but lord knows I'll manage to just miss it or something, what happens when you miss your shinkansen? Do you get on the next one? Or are you just screwed?

So many questions that need answering. So little time. But I'll have to buy the train tickets soon, like maybe tommorow soon.

Eek.