Typhoons, Earthquakes, and ...Futons? Oh my!

Just a short update today (I'll try and have several more of these). Classes are going good and I'm adjusting to the crazy scheduling. I've discovered that I kinda like the extra long breaks to check my email, post on this blog, and (if the break is long enough) go exploring in Hirakata-shi. Today is my short day--I get out of class at 2:20 (the rest of the week I'm stuck in class until 5:20, which sucks). The plan today is to get registered as an alien (eek, I'm an alien!) and get a prepaid cell phone so I can actually communicate with the world here in Osaka.

Check your news updates on this side of the world tonight (or rather, your morning). Two nights ago, we received a small earthquake in the Hirakata area. By small, I mean that I didn't even know about it until today. I slept right through it, but I am told that the world that was awake at that time felt the building shake and all looked at each other wondering if that was an earthquake they just felt. I'm not sure if being able to sleep through an earthquake is something to be proud of or not. Hopefully if a more powerful one hits it will wake me up, ne? It'd be bad to sleep through a 5 or a 6... Might not wake up. But as for this one, I don't know how bad it was. I'd say it was either a 1 or a 2, maybe a 3 at the most. But I'm betting 1.

Also, check your news because a typhoon is scheduled to directly hit Tokyo area tonight (my time). Said typhoon is supposidly larger than the entire country, so I'm sure we'll get some of the typhoon. Can't say I've ever been in a typhoon before, so I intend to be home before it hits tonight. I will say this though: the news says that the typhoon will hit Tokyo, but as of yesterday it was on a pretty direct path to Osaka, so I don't know if it's going to suddenly take a sharp north turn and go to Tokyo like they are predicting. Either way, we'll definately get some of this typhoon. I hope it cools the weather down.

If anyone is intersted in more news in Japan, look up information about the THIRD minister of agriculture that's resigning since Prime Minister Abe was re-elected in Japan. It will be very interesting to see what happens after this resignation, if anyone is interested in international politics. I know I'll be watching (can't promise I'll understand everything being said though).

I am also interested in finding out who won the baseball game last night (I had to stop watching because of dinner and homework), but when I left, the Kansai Tigers were beating the Yokohama Baystars by 1 point. I hope the Tigers won!

And lastly, in regards to the title of this entry... I have been sleeping on a futon for the past four nights and I have to say that it is very very uncomfortable. The futon is maybe an inch thick (maybe) and the floor beneith is a tatami mat floor. I'm getting a little better about finding a comfortable position to sleep in though, so maybe that means I'm getting used to it. However, I will be very glad when I return to the States and get to sleep on a real bed. At least in the Seminar houses they gave you a sort of matress to put on top of the futon...

Dinner last night was pizza and curry noodles (both of which were good). Breakfast this morning was chicken noodle soup (the noodles were ramen noodles), and a little bit of egg. The soup was good but it's so hot outside still that I think maybe ramen would have been better later on in the year.