Ehheh... this one is it bit late, having happened the Saturday before the Kamakura trip. Nevertheless, here it is.

I went two other exchange students, one from Hungary and one from Germany, the Aussie's host mum, who has turned out to be a very kind person always willing to take us to interesting places, and a person who I recall being the host mum of either the Hungarian or German.

Inside the university we were assaulted by friendly university students, no doubt attracting even more attention that usual with three foreigners in Japanese school uniform. In typical Japanese festival style, there was a wealth of stalls selling your typical Japanese festival foods, from octopus balls to okonomiyaki to a crushed iced slushy type thing.

We wandered on, following the sound of drums, and ended up at a Taiko show. 

Unfortunately, and quite predictably, the sound really doesn't convey the booming awesomeness of the thing. I've heard Taiko from a CD before, and wasn't interested for too long, but it really is superb live.

Next we found a crazy dance being performed by some university students, and some old very professory looking foreigner.

Finally, we walked into the famous silhouette of Tokyo university, where we found a bunch of Japanese rascals playing music which might have been good were it not for the side motive of trying to make anyone who dared go within a hundred metres deaf.

One popular joke among the school scallywags here is doing a lazily excecuted salute while brightly exclaiming "sex!" It seems that, being an English speaker, they though I would find it especially funny, but the most it has gotten out of me was an "Ee-wah?" the first time they did it. Yesterday I walked past a group of such scallywags and as they let fly with their witticism I realised I could make it a bit more interesting my teaching them some obscure Finnish power words to bellow out. Then I thought I could make it funny by teaching them "power words" such as "flower" in Finnish; which they could then shout all they like while I chuckle quietly to myself. I'll let you know when I hear someone shouting "flower!" at me in Finnish.

There's another, genuinly clever and actually quite funny antic worth mentioning. It would seem that having fun at the teachers' expense by disrespecting them would not be wise, so instead they have fun by upping the ante on politeness. It's great fun to see a teacher pass a group of these fellows, all of them doing several perfectly excecuted bows while shouting "Konnichiwa!" in the sharpest military tone they can muster. Then follow this with a similar barrage of greetings to their friend who has just come from the toilet. I wouldn't know but it seems to teachers find it quite amusing too - everybody wins!

English classes here are, in comparison to the English classes I have previously experienced, are quite different. There isn't much conversational practice at all, the focus instead on what seems like quite technical grammar. The teacher doesn't seem to be quite as fluent as those in Finland, but I guess that's to be expected.  For his lack of fluency he makes up for with enthusiasm, yet always apologizing profusely for the few seconds he was late as he unlocks the door. The first day he was carrying a huge pile of workbooks in his hands and was desperately struggling to open the door with his foot while the rest of the class stood  with their hands in their pockets, poor fellow. I don't blame him for not being an English mastermind though, I expect it's quite difficult to find fluent English speakers for every class in Japan. Because I can't be bothered to study Japanese during every lesson,  I've begun writing what could be compared to a diary, but is actually more of a dump for all debri that cumulates from my excessive thinking. Still it will be nice to read it in a few years time, and for now I can enjoy listening to girls next to me admiring my scribble, when they aren't sleeping that is.

Sleeping seems indeed to be as an integral part of Japanese school culture as it is of the rest of Japanese culture. Put "japanese sleeping" on Google, and you can find a load of pictures like this one. It seems that as long as the students stand up to bow at the beginning and end of each class, they can sleep all they like. I noticed one fellow sleeping for a full lesson of Japanese classical literature (I probably would too), at the end of which the teacher kindly asked someone to prod him awake. It really doesn't get much more efficient than combining sleep and school. Frankly, I don't think it would be at all a stupid idea for me to designate myself a lesson for sleeping every day.

Physical Education here is also worth mentioning. For our first lesson I was surprised to find us doing nothing but rehearsing an excercise routine, like the ones you get on TV, in a strict formation. The next lesson was even better, as we practiced scrambling to the formation, doing military ninety degree foot stomping turns and shouting things. You might think that it was all indeed disciplined, but it was often done with such ridiculous over the top vigor that one couldn't help but laugh. To be honest it wasn't even bad as far as PE lessons go, with the class clowns laying waste to any serious attempt and keeping the rest of us laughing. Although I don't really understand why we are drilling these things, and I was assured that we would play football and basketball after a month or so.

Most people bring their own packed lunch to school, or o-bento, as it's called here, to be eaten in class.

This is an example of the kind of bento my host mum makes me every day, kawaii!

During the lunch break, people often put their desks together to make bigger tables where to eat together with their friends. I turn my desk around to eat with a couple of my new friends, capital fellows who I sit near to, and who I can always ask when the things I don't understand start seeming important. In addition to the bento, I often visit a bakery on my way to school, my favourite being the one at Tamagawa station, to buy some fresh sweet or savory pastries as snacks for the long day. When you've had breakfast at 6:30, hunger a strikes a lot sooner than lunch time does. Usually I save something to be eaten after the last lesson, because thinking of the warm food waiting for me at home isn't the best thing to be doing during Kendo practice 

Here is a picture of the classroom. We can also see some Japanese student's with the common "Blurred Face Disease"

On an average day, Kendo practice begins at four o'clock, and lasts between two to two and a half hours. I've been getting better at a pretty good pace, especially with the help of some of the other students. A recent boost to my ego has also been another new arrival to the Kendo club. A shy, exceedingly polite,  first year; which means I'm not the total newbie anymore, hooray! The new kid is also interesting in the sense he isn't the average Japanese metrosexual. I've just recently noticed that every single guy has had their eyebrows shaped.

Although I often arrive home only after eight, I do enjoy the journey home. I like walking in the cool evening air, looking at my surroundings and the different people, not to mention the habitual glance at the Shibuya night lights. It's also a nice opportunity to make new aquaintances when walking to the station with students returning from other clubs. 

As I think I've mentioned at some point, I've decided to join the school's Kendo club. In fact, I had decided this long before I left Japan. Although I did here have the chance to go through some of the school brochures detailing other clubs I would have liked to join, such as archery or mountaneering, Kendo is what I wanted most. Having mentionied this my host brother immediately started bombarding me with warnings about how hard it is, that it would be everyday, and that I would have no time for anything else. Ah well, I've already decided, and if I always listened to warnings about things I want to do... well I wouldn't be in Japan now. It's also quite typical of me in the sense that it is a choice I know I might live to regret, but also know that a time will come when I'm very grateful for it.

So, last Wednesday I went to the Kendo club. The sensei is what I would consider a typical martial arts teacher. Intimidating, yet good natured, who gives no unnecessary praise nor reprove. It was all very confusing and quite stressful, and I didn't have much time to get to know people as I had to hurry after the practice to the English teacher helping me write the speech for the opening ceremony. The next day's practice was also quite awkward, but frankly quite nostalgic. It took me a while to realise the last time I had felt that confused timidness and irrational embarrasment. England. It's a set of emotions one quickly forgets, but soon I remembered the first days of school for me when we moved to England. At the end of the first day's of Kendo practice I was exhausted, but hardly due to the physical strain.

For now I practice seperate from the others, as obviously I need to get a grasp of the basics before I can go head to head with people who have gone to two and a half hour practices every day for many years. The first two days all I did was practice steps and posture, which while surprisingly difficult and understandably important did make me feel like a bit of a dork. The second day was a significant step forward as I had time to hang out with the other members after the practice. Everyone was ridiculously kind and friendly and very patient in conversation despite the as of yet high language barrier. I was then taken to the local McDonalds for an impromptu welcome party. My only regret is that I don't know how to thank them enough. I shall take them some Finnish chocolate ^^

The next day I got to practice overhead strikes with the bamboo sword, or shinai, which felt oddly rewarding for some reason. Until now I've been continuing to practice strikes as well as more difficult steps. And now that I've got the hang of the routine I'm no longer bothered by the same confusion, and can look forward to socialising with the other members during the breaks. I can't help smiling to myself everytime I walk with the other members to the train station. I might not yet understand much of what they say yet, but the friendship they offer me so early in my exchange year makes me very glad indeed. Everything is going great.

Couple of days ago I left with Okaasan to see my new school. An hours train journey away, with 4 transfers, one of them at Shibuya. This is quite cool as I will everyday be walking two times past a giant glass wall on the other side of which is the famed Shibuya crossing. As we waited at my local station I was warned about crowded trains. Of course I knew that already, and chuckled aloud as a crowded train sped past the station, its occupant's faces quite literally plastered against the door windows. Remembering that I'm taking a train myself my laughter was stopped by an involuntary gulp. Fortunately the train that we took was mysteriously not quite as crowded.

After a good hour or so we arrived at the school. It is holiday here, but kids still often go to school to attend whatever clubs they might have, so there were a fair few milling around. The school was quite large, and looked pretty much the same as every other Japanese school, a peculiar phenomenon I've noticed. Inside I was introduced to a very friendly English teacher who was to help me sort out my school life. I was also shoved in to the staff room to make more acquaintances, and everyone seemed genuinely pleased to see me despite my clumsy efforts at good manners. It is surprisingly difficult to concentrate on remembering all the manners you read about when your being bombarded with so much new information at a thoroughly confusing pace.

Later I went with two of the English teachers I was entrusted with to measure up for my school uniform, and by now the milling students realised I was the new exchange students and responded to greetings with bright interest (Hooray!) One of the English teachers then took me to see the school grounds, and we managed to spoil a basketball practice as the students spotted me and the teacher observing them from the doorway and thus took upon pointing at me and talking with each other. In the words of the great philosopher Bender Bending Rodríguez: "Wohoo! I'm popular!" The day may come when I deeply regret saying that.

Yesterday I visited the school once more, and this time I was taken to a small welcome ceremony. Once again I felt like a confused animal who had been shipped off to the other side of the earth into a completely different habitat. A confused animal who was now ushered into a room, presumably the principals office, where he was introduced to a lot of important looking educational fellows in suits and an undeniably intimidating yet fatherly looking principal. Everyone introduced themselves amidst much bobbing of the torso and then we finally sat down to talk about God knows what, because I sure as hell didn't have a clue. The friendly banter then continued with a further meeting, where my primary involvement was helping the friendly English teacher with the little Finnish she had learned for my sake. Despite my bewilderment both meetings were positive experiences, as everyone seemed glad to have me on board and I was genuinly honoured by the time I was given.

Walking back to the train station I felt surprisingly refreshed as if I had just successful completed a challenging ordeal, and now all the stored tension in my body was relieved. Early next month I will be going to a practice of the school's Kendo club, which I intend to join if I make it out of the practice alive. After the practice the friendly English teacher will help me write my speech for the opening ceremony. The speech which I will give to the whole school as its only exchange student. Naturally it will be in Japanese. Surprisingly I'm not dreading it at all, but I expect by bowels will be nervous in my stead as usual.