Okonomiyaki and Shopping

I'm very tired this week because I have an insane amount of work to do. So, like the procrastinator that I am, I am instead updating this blog and not working on my field project...

This weekend I--completely randomly--decided to go and learn how to make Okonomiyaki. It, Gyouza, and Tempura are the three things in Japan I absolutely MUST master cooking before I return to the states because I loves them dearly. So, Saturday I joined a group that was teaching international students to make okonomiyaki. Oh it was heavenly.

Afterwards, Krissy and I went to get the back tire on her bike fixed (it had a flat) and then ate at Bikkuri ramen, a little restaurant near campus that serves absolutely delicious gyouza and ramen for a very inexpensive price. Afterwards, we road to Kuzuha where we went shopping and I bought a box to put all my new hair clips and pins in. (I loves my new box, it's made of bamboo and all prettiful) On the way home, it poured and I still have not mastered the truly Japanese art of holding an umbrella and riding a bike at the same time (I'm getting better though). So, I got completely soaked.

Sunday was spent catching up on homework (of which I have a lot still to do but am neglecting by writing to you, oh dear family and friends). I'm not sure where my host family went (they are rarely at home) but they all left so I had the house all to myself. I quite enjoyed the quiet and solitude while studying.

Monday and today were spent doing classwork. I'm actually sort of half-heartedly working on my anth homework which is due thursday and is actually rather fun (if you call preparing a proposal for a research project that will eventually be incorporated into your honors thesis "fun")

I need to go to an electronics store (supposidly there is one near top world) so that I can buy better headphones. I didn't bring my good ones from home so I needs to buy a freaking fantastic pair. I doubt they'll be as expensive since my nice pair is sony brand and, incase you haven't noticed, Sony is indeed Japanese.

I also found out what happened to the Sony building in Shinsaibashi--they were going to tear it down! Well, sorta--in Japan you don't tear the building down if the new owner can turn the old building into a workable space for the new building.

I also watched a show with my host family called (in english) That's a Dramatic Change. It was about this 30 year old house they gutted, repaired, and redesigned into something new. I got a lot of neat architectural ideas from it. The house is on a super small lot so everything was space-saver crazy and just amazing. tables that stack so you can have double the table space when you have guests, under-the-floor storage so you can put pillows (for kneeling at the table) away when not in use, a fold-out coat rack for guests, storage under stairs, and just about everything else you can think of. It was amazing. I really enjoyed it because half the time I saw the problem before the show pointed them out--sometimes it's nice to have a dad who is a structural engineer. The house before remodel was an utter nightmare, but after it was simply beautiful.

I have no more thoughts for the day because if I do not begin my homework, I'll be up all night. And we don't particularly want that....